Hybrid Dreams
by Violetta-Night Butterfly
Summary: [AU] They are Tyrants; Immortals who have terrorized humans for over 500 years under the rule of Albert Wesker. His half-breed son, Jake, disappeared from the colony over a century ago only to resurface in Raccoon City. It is here that he protects mortals, but at a lavish fee. Sherry Birkin, a young performer, is his newest client. She is also the mayor's daughter. JakexSherry
1. The Journey Begins

Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil, the characters, or anything related to the series. I am simply doing this for fun, that's all.

Warnings – This fic contains some dark content that may disturb some people.

* * *

_**Hybrid Dreams**_

_By: Violetta-Night Butterfly _

_Pairing(s): JakexSherry (w/ possible others in the future)_

_In this tale, we meet an abstract entertainer who believes in harmony and an enigmatic loner whose mysterious past has caused him to believe in nothing but mayhem. When she shares her dreams with him, he writes her hopes off as wishful thinking. But little does she know, he's quite the dreamer himself._

* * *

_Prelude_

* * *

She was surrounded by them, four scary guys of different stature but all with abnormally sharp teeth and glowing eyes...

They had chased her here to the river, enclosing her on both sides of the bridge. The girl had no clue why anyone would want to terrorize her, she was just little girl – only 10 years of age.

Frightened, she shrank down into a fetal position, hugging her knees and shaking under their heated gaze. She was clueless of what they wanted from her.

"Are you scared little girl?" one of them taunts her with a grin, his teeth alarm her to profound heights.

She's speechless as the group advances on her. She just shuts her eyes tightly and clings to the locket her mother gave her the year before... She had gotten ill shortly after she gave it to her and didn't last a month before she succumbed to her illness.

The little girl cowers at the idea of joining her mother in the heavens so soon.

"_Hey_." a voice sounds out.

She doesn't raise her head, she's too afraid.

"Well, well – if it isn't the _half-breed_? What do you want?" one of her terrorizers confronts this new person. The small girl finally gets the guts to lift her head and see the newcomer.

He is much taller than the others around her and covered from head to toe in a dark cloak with the hood over his head.

She can distinctly see his striking eyes – they were sharp like icicles or crystals glistening in the cold of winter.

"_You wanna challenge me, shit for brains_?"

"Bring it on then!"

The small girl shut her eyes and clasped her hands over her ears to deafen herself as a fight broke out between the men. She trembled and shook violently as inhuman cries were unleashed. It seemed the fight lasted forever but she knew it concluded once she heard nothing but the whistle of the autumn wind around her.

She felt someone touch her arm gently and her eyes snapped open in surprise. It was the new person – her savior… His icy orbs bore through her soul but she slowly smiled, "Th-Thank you, mister..." she said shyly, her cheeks felt very warm.

"_Stay outta trouble, bambina_." he spat, rising up and starting to walk away. The little girl noticed that the bad men were thrown about and in serious condition but she raced to catch up with her savior. He stopped once she neared him, "_What are you doing_?" he asked harshly, his back to her.

"I-I wanted to come with you..." she says meekly. "You know… because you saved me and... I-I wanted to –"

"_You shouldn't get too comfortable around me. I could ring your little neck if I wanted to, ya know_?" he says darkly.

She fidgets, "I-I know but... you won't..."

"_What makes you think I won't_?"

"Because you're a nice guy and nice guys don't hurt people..." she answers, quite hopeful.

He chuckles deep within his throat and she knows he's mocking her. "_I'm not a nice guy. Far from it. You have no idea who I am_."

"Yes I do, you're one of the guys who works for my father."

"_Tch, do you know __**what**__ I am, bambina_?"

"Yes but... I don't think it matters." she says cautiously but a small smile is on her face. "You saved me so... that means you're nice. Besides, I don't believe all of your kind is bad... I mean, humans can be pretty bad too but we have good people... maybe your kind is the same?"

He is silent.

She skips in front of him, he is glaring her down like she is scum of the earth but she smiles anyway, "I think one day we all can live in harmony together. We just have to accept each other instead of be afraid and hate each other…"

Little does she know – he is listening to her. She reminds him of a time when someone else would teach him things like love and peace and how to manage the animal within him.

But that was long ago, he has since moved on and indulged himself in his savage nature. After all, it is a part of him that he has nourished for over a century now. A little girl with such a flimsy lifespan will never understand his dilemma, nor will she last long enough to hold any merit.

"Sometimes… I dream that we all live together in harmony and… I believe we will one day."

She's a dreamer. A big dreamer.

He hates it. He hates her.

But he believes her. He believes in her.

He sees hope in her big blue eyes that remind him of water. He sees fascination and compassion.

It disturbs him.

After all he's done in his life, her ideals are blasphemy. He is the scourge of the earth just like the others of his kind… only he is worse off because he doesn't fit in anywhere – no matter where he wanders on this curse of an planet.

"_That's a fool's dream you have, bambina_," he grumbles to her and starts to walk away. "_You'll be killed if you keep thinking that way_."

"I don't care what you are… you'll always be my hero!"

* * *

Their kind appeared on earth over 700 years ago – but no one knows where exactly they came from…

When they first surfaced, humans attributed their likeness to that of a _vampire_ – they were sensitive to sunlight but did not turn to dust in it [more or less it weakened them] and have teeth just like sharks. Upon more observation, it was discovered that they do not drink blood and are not a living corpse in any sense of the word.

At first sight, they look just like everyone else – normal human beings. It isn't until further inspection that their differences are detectable. They are much more capable than the average human beings – possessing a wide range of abilities mortals could only dream of having – in particular, they are timeless and able to live for many, many years without aging. They are incredibly fast with their movements, immensely powerful and are known to have a sort of sixth sense; but each is different in that aspect.

They are living, breathing conundrums – the list of their abilities goes on and on.

That said, it is dire that the whole truth of them be elaborated on for future reference…

They are strange beings. One moment they are decent and calm the next they are… _demented_.

Each of them exhibits the same natural need to wreak havoc. Most say it is something they simply cannot control. It has been identified as being a part of their very essence.

It is because of this that their kind (whatever they truly may be) is taken seriously and extreme caution is exercised as they are _highly dangerous_ and **adaptable**.

Capable of spreading plagues with a simple bite – they thrive on chaos, violence and misery. They are known to lie in wait for a chance to strike and ruin societies – entire kingdoms, villages, and civilizations were eradicated without a fighting chance. This went on for countless years…

Centuries ago, coalitions formed against them in hopes of challenging their leader and remove him from power to end his purge of mankind for good.

His name was Albert Wesker. He was the most ruthless of all of his kind; massacring innocent people without hesitation and enslaving them for life if he captured them. His origins of his hatred for mankind remain unknown, even to this day…

Once the war of the species commenced… mankind was destroyed in an instant. They were forced to fall back. Eventually, all who stood against Wesker were hunted down and slaughtered like pigs.

With mankind's defeat, Wesker's hunger for bloodshed increased and supreme dominance was idealized by him. Many mortals were captured by him and word has it that he owns over 2 thousand human slaves, the rest have been killed by his hand.

The others within his species have not ceased their malicious hunt for humans to slaughter and destroy their lives. Even now, 500 years later, they continue to hunt for what remains of them to realize even more absolute power and control…

Humans retreated to various regions across the world – doing what they can to make use of what's left of earth…

A century ago, Wesker struck a deal with humans. He would let them live and have their own colonies in exchange for free service to his species. They have to feed them and offer hospitality to them without complaint. No matter what humans do, they are slaves to these otherworldly entities.

Some have refused to abide by him – deciding to remain hidden instead but those are the very cities and towns that are eventually found and ravaged for disobedience. Sometimes even the cooperative colonies are still destroyed – especially if reports are made to Wesker that disrespect has been shown to their kind.

Humans live in a corrupt world where they are less than dirt, forced to serve these immortal beings.

No one knows why they are this way. No one knows why they find pleasure in tormenting humans…

They've come to know them only as … _Tyrants_.

It is a fitting title for individuals who crave power… and bloodshed.

* * *

Chapter One

**The Journey Begins…**

_He's resurfaced but he's hardly what I'd call a hero. She's got courage but this corrupt world could very well break her down._

* * *

Raccoon City, it's one of the many human colonies in the world. In the middle of a heavily forested landscape, it's on an island deemed undetectable by the world's standards. After many years of hiding and change – the world is no longer marked by countries or continents – in fact, it is hard to name anything because relocation is very common.

The inhabitants of Raccoon city stay inside a highly guarded fortress made of solid brick. For safe measure, the city is hidden among the trees as to deter the tyrants that may come for them despite the clandestine location.

It was their only hope for concealment.

Unfortunately, ten years ago they were found by a group of tyrants and the leader of the townsfolk offered his service to Wesker and went to meet him. In one of the rarest incidents in history – Sir William Birkin, a human… he was accepted by Albert Wesker and titled a Mayor for his town. He was given the highest rank – he's above the rulers and mayors of all the other registered colonies.

To this day, no one knows why.

Inside Raccoon city lives one of the most thriving communities in the mortal world. It is not a very advanced society – they don't have modern technology but the people are pleasant and hard-working. There's a nice amount of farmers, doctors, tailors, carpenters and entertainers within the city, each contributing to their prestigious region's reputation for being abundant with resources and cheer. The townspeople are very independent; they harvest their own food and have efficient healthcare.

They also have tyrants inhabiting the colony.

As of today, Raccoon city has a total of 20 tyrants. And after many years of living together, trust still has not yet been made between the humans and tyrants.

The tyrants [adhering to their nature] are still violent, demanding and have a sense of entitlement among humans. The people are not pleased with their antics but put up with them to prevent trouble.

However, there is one tyrant in this town that is different from the others.

His name is Jake. As a hybrid being – half tyrant, half human; Jake is quite different from anyone else of this world. He has the qualities of both species yet for some reason, he seems to identify with the tyrants more.

He is also hiding from his father.

His existence in Raccoon is a secret between William and himself – a deal they struck up 10 years ago when Jake emerged in the town. He offered that in exchange for keeping his identity hidden, he would protect him and his family without contest – William was well aware of what he was capable of and accepted the bargain and even offered to pay him a hefty fee for his kindness whenever he needed him.

He now lurks throughout Raccoon under a false name – he is known as Jake _Muller_, taking up after his late human mother's last name.

The only one who knows his real identity is William. One may ask his motives for this but that is a mystery even William cannot answer and perhaps… not even Jake really knows.

Jake Muller is actually Jake Wesker.

He is the legendary son of the supreme tyrant overlord…

Albert Wesker.

* * *

The sun sets over Raccoon city and most civilians are retreating into their homes. They know that sunset is when most tyrants emerge and are prepared to be harassed but prefer to avoid conflict. The people of this town are used to the tyrant's behavior – but that doesn't mean they like them.

A lone figure sits upon the tallest structure in the town. It is the mayor's place of residence. Unlike the others staying in concrete or straw houses, William Birkin's home is more or less a tower.

This individual on the roof of the tower is none other than Jake.

He stays here every day watching the townspeople; sometimes to keep out of trouble but mostly because he doesn't want to be bothered nor deal with humans or tyrants. Being a hybrid means the humans experience both fear and distrust of him. And the tyrants well – they respect him but envy him for his might. He doesn't have the same weakness that they do because of the human aspects within him.

He is a loner anyway so it doesn't make him any difference.

However, he does occasionally entertain his natural urges by indulging in the services of the mortal women or going on drunken rage tirades, usually resulting in him beating up someone. It's all in good fun for him though – that is until a girl asks if he drinks blood or if some punk starts talking mess about him being a half-breed.

You'd think women would come out of their little Dracula fantasies long enough to notice he's not a half-dead freak. As for the hybrid cracks, he just kicks their asses and moves on – another one bites the dust for opposing him.

Little do the people of Raccoon city know but Jake actually does feel remorse for his actions, something a lot of tyrants don't.

Though it could very well be because he is a half-breed… but he'll never admit that.

The sound of a window opening nearby causes Jake to slowly incline and see the culprit behind it. It is one of William's maids – a much older woman, he doesn't even know her name. She does this every night to let some air in.

To her dismay, Jake enters the house sometimes, harassing the other handmaidens and he's even threatened to mutilate a few.

He smirked when the woman noticed his presence – his dark hood must have really alarmed her. She gasped and began to ramble about how sorry she was but she couldn't let him in anymore after what he did to the last woman cleaning the house. Jake raised his brow behind the darkness of his cloak, "_Buona sera_ to you too, old lady." he said, grinding his shark-like fangs with agitation.

"M-My apologies, Mister Jake." she said meekly, "Would… is there anything I can do for you, sir? Perhaps you want a drink?"

Jake narrowed his eyes at her, "Don't try to be friendly, _donna_." he growled, "You can leave now." She nodded quickly and went to shut the window but Jake pushed it open, "Leave it. If I wanna come in, there ain't nothin' you can do to stop me."

"O-Of course." she said with a bow and quickly went to exit the room inside.

Jake recognized it as the attic; old boxes and other miscellaneous items were stacked neatly inside with a slight coat of dust here and there. Jake wondered did they ever clean the room – it irritated his nose. He had unfortunately inherited his mother's allergies to dust…

He climbed in, his heavy boots clamored loudly on the wood floors and his black cloak fanned away the dust ever so gently. He made sure he pulled his hood over his head properly, intent on frightening the house maids today – today he may play grim reaper and terrify them.

Walking further into the home, he had to incline slightly each time just to fit through the short doorways. For some reason, the usually bustling tower was empty… He sniffed the air and could smell the mortals – they were on the first floor. He figured the old maid must have run down the stairs – it was typical, she was just as judgmental and weak as the others.

That's one of the reasons he hated humans.

But at least the mayor was different…

* * *

William was entertaining guests on the first floor in his grand hall. Fancy lanterns hung from the ceiling as decorations along with an exquisitely bright candlelight chandelier. William wasn't one for big parties in the tower – he was a mellow man but it was just common courtesy for him to cater to guests. A band was present and playing along to some dancers. The entire room was abundant with colors of gold and red.

Jake stood by the nearest doorway to the hall where everyone was. He observed that there were visitors from another colony present. These visitors dressed more like they'd come from the desert with their light weight robes. Jake knew of an island none too far from where they were now – just across the sea actually.

He assumed these people were from the Desert towns, a vast colony of humans and tyrants alike but broken into sections as per instruction by his father years ago. To reach it, one would have to go through the forests bordering Raccoon until they reached the shores and then cross an almost unpretentious sea to reach the other land. From there, travelers would continue forward on the spontaneous terrain until they arrived at the desert.

He had been many places in his lifetime, after all there wasn't much to do except travel when you were avoiding dear ole' dad.

Jake watched the groups of people dancing and enjoying themselves – William seemed quite busy and Jake wasn't too unreasonable that he wouldn't leave the man be for now. But man, was he bored.

Before he could leave, he heard someone call out for him.

It was William.

"Jake, please come join us!" He beckoned kindly with a soft smile. Something about William's amiable nature made it easy for Jake to tolerate him. He wasn't sure what it was but he felt less bitter when he came in contact with the man.

The guests on the other hand…

Jake frowned when he saw the visitors and other party folk cease their actions. They were giving him that look again; a mix of hatred and terror. His gaze traveled over them all and they averted their own upon contact. He smirked, "I think I'll pass – I don't party with _insects_." he bellowed deeply. His voice sounded out enough that it echoed in the hall.

William was undeterred as he was accustomed to Jake's reclusiveness. "It concerns a job… if you will take it, I mean?"

That caught Jake's attention, "Now we're talking – of course you know I don't work for a modest fee, _Signore_." Jake loved money – he loved to blow it on things he shouldn't but he was greedy by nature.

Just like his father.

The man sighed, "Of course. Please, have a seat."

The hall cleared immediately as Jake's tall form cut through the hordes. He towered over the humans drastically. He took a seat in front of William. "_Bene_, what's the job?"

"I need you to escort someone."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the backyard of the Birkin residence, a young woman – aged 20 is removing clothes from the clothing line now that day has become the evening. The summer air is cool today, refreshing enough that it brightens her already cheery mood to a greater level.

She sings a lovely song as she completes the chore, her voice is that of an angel's. Once she finishes her melody, she hears someone clapping.

"Your voice is so beautiful, Sherry." a woman with rich mahogany hair said as they finished collecting the rest of the clothes they'd hung out to dry.

Sherry blushed prettily, her fingers lacing in front of her in her usual demure habit. "Thanks, Claire. I can't tell you how great it feels to finally let my voice be heard more often." she explained bashfully as she rests her heavy basket against her hip to lug it back into the tower.

It has been ten years since that incident on the bridge. That little girl was Sherry, but she is now an older girl, beautiful and mellow just like her father. She is an entertainer – capable of dancing and singing flawlessly and even has some skills with instruments like guitar and violin. Throughout the years, she has maintained her dreamy nature and childlike innocence. She still believes that one day harmony will be achieved in this world…

_He _gave her hope that it could happen. _He_ has been her motivation to keep her head held high. One day, they will meet again – and she just knows it.

She's dreamed about _him_ ever since that day on the bridge – when her life was changed forever.

"It's amazing isn't it? You sing one time in broad daylight and suddenly you're the top dog in the tower!" Claire giggled, "And only after three weeks! It must be luck!"

Sherry hummed as they entered the tower through the back entrance. "Maybe, I mean, I've been practicing since I was little – you know that. I'm glad I finally picked up the nerve to convince father to let me perform for the guests… I just wasn't expecting to attract so much attention."

"Even the _tyrants_ have taken a liking to you…" said Claire as they started up the stairs. Sherry didn't know how to respond to that statement so she remained silent. "I mean, who knows, maybe one will get so enthralled by your angelic voice you could score with him." Claire snickered devilishly.

Sherry almost fell backwards, "W-What?! What are you getting at Claire?"

Claire just smirked and averted her gaze as they arrived on the third floor. "You know exactly what I mean…" she said.

The delicate blonde hadn't performed outside the tower yet but tyrants did frequently visit her father. Three weeks ago she begged him to allow her to perform in front of some guests and he allowed her to – ever since, the tyrants and visitors were often requesting her presence.

Yeah, for three weeks she had to agree with Claire – that was a lot of notoriety in such a short time. Still, she wasn't performing just for attention; she wanted to make sure that she enjoyed her life – she refused to let tyrants strike enough fear in her to challenge that.

They arrived at Sherry's bedroom, a modestly sized space with wood finishes on the walls and floors. Her neatly made bed is on left-hand side and there's a nightstand, dresser, chest and closet on the right. A square window and seat is straight-ahead upon entry, the curtains are drawn back – allowing the glow of the diminishing dusk to creep inside the room.

Sherry sat her basket full of clothes on the floor and sent a disbelieving look to the older woman after lighting the candle on her nightstand, "Oh Claire, sometimes I think you'll never tire of sharing your stories about your tyrant conquests." she giggled a bit, turning away to have a seat on her bed; the other woman erupted into a fit of snickers. "Come, sit with me. Let's take a break." She said while patting a vacant spot on her bed.

The red haired woman released her own basket to the floor and moved to sit beside her, "Stop calling my fling a conquest. It was _one_ tyrant and he was pretty nice… until his 'mania' kicked in and he asked for rough sex…"

Sherry fidgeted uncomfortably, "But Claire, I thought you said you _did_ have rough sex with him."

"Yeah, I did… and I'll never sleep with a human again." she said dreamily, "Tyrants are amazing…"

Sherry sighed, "You're unbelievable." she said.

Claire is a longtime caretaker and friend of Sherry's. She's looked after her since she was 13 years old and has acted as something of a surrogate mother. Her positive nature, spunk and fiery attitude are both refreshing sometimes and absurd other times. Still, the singing and dancing girl couldn't see herself without the vivacious woman in her life.

"Jokes aside, Steve was a great guy… for a tyrant. He just… he had some issues." The mahogany haired beauty's eyes traveled to the ceiling as her mind wandered back to the times she spent with him.

The petite woman turned to her, "Claire, why won't you ever tell me more about him? What happened to make you leave him?"

Another reason Sherry enjoyed Claire's company was because like herself and her father, Claire wasn't afraid of tyrants. She had actually lived in another colony – on another land before she migrated to Raccoon city. It was on the old island that she met a tyrant named Steve – but Sherry had yet to learn his last name. Claire didn't like to talk about it much and Sherry could tell it was because the girl had fallen in love with the tyrant.

But whatever happened that split them apart… Sherry had yet to know.

"So, do you think your father will let you go to the Desert towns?" Claire asks suddenly.

"I don't know, he's so protective…" she replied though her thoughts were miles away. "Claire, I know this is sudden but… do you remember the guy I'm always talking about? You know, from when I was little?"

Claire nodded, "Yep, the guy that helped you ten years ago and called you 'bambina' like he was from the Italian islands. I remember, why?"

Sherry sighed and began fidgeting with the locket around her neck. After ten years she still kept it on in memory of her late mother.

That mysterious tyrant from ten years ago was just so fascinating to her and yet she did not know his name nor what he looked like under that hood of his. She was too shy to ask her father about him but throughout the years she always surveyed her surroundings in a limitless pursuit to one day see him again. She wondered how did he know the language from the Italian islands… had he traveled there? Was he born there? She wanted to learn about him…

But for now, she was left to her blissful dreams of romance and happiness with him.

"I had another dream about him." she said finally.

"A _wet _dream?"

Sherry glared playfully at her, "No! …But this time, I dreamed he was… looking for me. And we found each other and we… _married_." she fidgeted nervously with her fingers.

The redhead sighed, "Wow, that's cute Sher but we both know that the guy who saved you was a tyrant and let's face it, tyrants don't marry. It's rare for them to understand what it means to have relationships…Because they don't understand how to handle feelings…." she said softly, regretting that she had to break the hard truth to the astral woman so often.

Sherry was a dreamer, she always had hope for a bright future. Claire admired that about the girl but sometimes her optimism seemed childish and unreasonable. Still, no matter how hard she tried to lightly bring the girl back to earth, she was still building castles in the sky. Daydreaming about this mysterious tyrant who saved her ten years ago and believing that one day they would meet again and she would be with him.

It was a fool's dream, but Claire couldn't just shatter the girl's hopes. Eventually she would see the truth for herself.

After all, she had been in that position for over three years… _No, I won't think of it right now. I can't…_

"You're right," Sherry said suddenly, startling Claire – she had no idea the girl would realize the truth so quickly! "It's just a dream… but dreaming got me this far." she sighed morosely, she knew she was grasping at straws – she'd done it her whole life.

"Never mind, I'll just focus on my entertainment career for now I guess…"

Claire offered some solace, "Well, yeah that's a pretty good idea. How's your dancing coming along? If you need a little practice I could go over some moves with you right now, if you like?"

"It's –" a sudden knock on the door caught their attention. Sherry glanced at Claire before replying, "It's open, you may enter."

Her father stepped into the room, a gentle smile graced his features. "Sweetheart, good evening." he greeted.

Sherry stood and came to embrace him, "Hi daddy," she sang. "How are you?"

"I am fine," he looked to Claire and rendered a nod to her of acknowledge which she returned. "I've come with some very good news dear."

"What is it, daddy?" she asked softly, her big watery eyes focused solely on him.

"After hearing a direct plea from the ambassador of the desert regions, I've decided to allow you to visit there."

Sherry squealed with delight, springing into her father's arms with joyful giggles, "Oh thank you daddy! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

"You are free to go tonight so pack your things immediately as you will be traveling with the ambassador and his henchmen. I also managed to convince the best bodyguard I can offer to accompany you."

"Okay daddy…" Sherry said with a wide smile but then blinked with curiosity. "Who is he, is he a tyrant?"

William nodded with a smile, "He is… Jake."

* * *

Leaving into the night was quite scary. The ambassador of the desert regions had his henchmen surrounding the carriage she was in with him and though this should have made her feel safe, she felt more frightened than anything. She was always afraid of the dark and oddly enough, tonight was the most eerily dark evening she'd seen in a long while.

The tyrant who was supposed to keep an eye on her was in the midst but she was already told by her father that he was a phantom – you never knew when he was coming, where he was or what he planned to do.

He warned her not to challenge him either as he had a very short fuse…

Sherry leaned her head against the window of the carriage, the subtle sounds of horse hooves along the dirt road path of the forest was lulling her to sleep. She wished Claire could have come along to keep her company but as a maid for the manor, the red head had to stay behind and keep things tidy.

She hummed feeling a sudden sense of loneliness. Even with the ambassador in front of her, she felt alone. He was an older man and wasn't very talkative, it was a wonder he pleaded for her to visit. Then again, he was there on behalf of his adoptive son – another tyrant and like the people of Raccoon city, his people were often at the bidding of the immortals.

Sherry didn't hate tyrants like most other humans did. In fact, she was instilled with her father's accepting and kind ways. She didn't hate them at all – she saw them as otherworldly beings that should be admired, not feared or hated. They were aliens to her people and she found herself interested in their backgrounds, their lifestyles – their hopes and dreams.

She wanted to learn as much about them as she could – alas, she had never gotten close enough to one that she could get so personal with.

It was always foreign to her how people could see them as monsters. They weren't mean to her at all and while it was strange, she didn't complain. She sometimes wondered if it had something to do with the incident ten years ago when her hero saved her but kind of felt there was something more to it. She knew the tyrant she dreamed about very often still lived in Raccoon city but she wasn't sure if he would remember her.

After all, that was ten years ago. Surely he with his timeless lifestyle he wouldn't remember her – a small insignificant child who dreamed too much then and still does to this day.

_If only…_ she thought, closing her eyes and feeling herself drift off to sleep.

Sometime later, she awoke when the carriage came to a stop. They had arrived at the shore, from this point they would be traveling by boat. One of the guards helped her from the carriage and led her to a boat. There was one available and it was quite lengthy but not at all splendid like the ones her father had. Perhaps the desert lands were in more poverty compared to Raccoon's thriving society.

She was not going to complain though. Life was too short to sweat the little things.

"Miss Birkin," started one of the guards. "… As soon as your escort arrives –"

Just then, a dark figure landed before them. As he straightened himself out, Sherry's big watery eyes widened so much they looked like saucers. Her escort had arrived… his entire body concealed by his dark cloak.

Sherry felt her breath catch in her throat.

* * *

"A-Ah, M-Master Jake, you've arrived…" the ambassador started nervously, "Would you be so kind as to escort us across…?"

"Do I look like a servant to you?" the immortal man snarled, he was gnashing his sharp teeth in the dark of his hood; he looked terrifying. "Someone row the damn boat, I'm sitting at the back."

"O-Of c-course, sir!" they said in union.

"And just to set the record straight, I'm here to protect _her _–" he pointed to Sherry's slender form. "No one else, got it?"

"Understood, sir…"

When he looked in her direction, Sherry thought she was trapped in another one of her dream worlds. This tyrant… his eyes pierced through her – just like the one from ten years ago…!

Sherry stared in awe at this mysterious man – she wasn't afraid like the other men, she was far too entranced by the prospect that this man was her hero from so long ago... His voice – he even sounded like him! Perhaps it was because of the fact he was protecting her or maybe she was just too hopelessly taken after her encounter with the mysterious man who saved her that she was easily enchanted…

_No… there's no mistaking those eyes. It's gotta be him!_

"Come Miss Sherry," the ambassador beckoned to her. He took her hand and helped her onto the boat.

The ambassador's assistants sat in front of her; two on her right side, the ambassador sat to her left. The bags of luggage she brought along with her were conveniently by her feet. The paddler was supposed to sit behind them but he was visibly trembling and uncomfortable with the idea of the mysterious tyrant sitting behind him.

"Is there a problem...?" Jake slurred darkly, his icy stones concentrated firmly on the shaking male in front of him.

"F-Forgive m-me…" he stuttered out, unable to push himself to do his job. The others seemed to agree with him, they were terrified.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it by now." he growled and Sherry could tell he was growing impatient with the weak constitution this paddler had.

She turned and stepped out of the boat much to the henchmen and ambassador's dismay. As they reached for her, she gently swayed their hands away to stand beside the boat and the paddler. She took in some air before she offered a sympathetic smile to the trembling paddler, "If it would help, I could sit right behind you." The men stared at her like she was insane.

"Ma'am that's –"

She giggled, "I'm certain I'll be fine." She turned to Jake and blushed, "I hope you don't mind me sitting by you."

The ambassador and his henchmen were bewildered by her benign nature. Even more surprised that she was unafraid of the dangerous entity before her that could easily crush her and end her life. Yet she spoke to him as if he were… anyone else – namely a _human being_.

If they weren't the only ones thrown off by her amiability, she wouldn't know – especially not with the mysterious tyrant hidden behind that dark cloak. He made sure not to let it show, "Go on then_ bambina_, get in." he purred with a smirk – a frightening one at that because of his teeth.

'_Bambina'?! _She quickly hid her surprise by lowering her head. She coughed and nodded with a demure smile, and then gestured the paddler ahead of her while she took the small space between him and Jake. The others were still dumbstruck but she kindly asked them to proceed to which they finally moved to do so.

Sherry was sitting at an angle where he could study her completely and she was starting to feel her nerves kick in. There was no mistaking it. He had called her '_bambina_' – there weren't any others in Raccoon city that called her that, let alone had his piercing gaze that sent chills down her body.

He **was** her _hero_.

A feeling of giddiness overcame her and she could feel his harsh gaze as he studied her. There was a drawstring around the collar of her red cloak and she started playing with it to ease her jitters.

_My hero's name is… Jake. _Finally, she had a name to place on the mysterious figure from her dreams. _I wonder what he looks like…_

* * *

Jake hated the Desert towns.

The sun was much too bright - while he could deal with it better than his fellow tyrants, he still didn't like it much.

And then there was the city life. Unlike Raccoon, there was nowhere he could go to be left alone. The place was overly populated and homes for visitors were too vulnerable for his tastes. He fancied that menacing tyrants could just come in any time they pleased and tear this civilization to shreds and the people wouldn't stand a chance.

The largest annoyance he felt came from the _people_ in the town. They were just like Raccoon, scared and bitter – the only difference was that these people tried to pretend they weren't. In Raccoon, they didn't care to feign acceptance but these people did. Jake hated fakers – he was no fool to their disdain of him, the way they moved away when he walked near them was the obvious clue.

As the sun began to set on the horizon, Jake sat on top of the tallest building in the town [which wasn't tall at all]. He watched dusk blanket the world and did a habitual countdown until the night was born.

This town had tyrants and apparently that's why he was there. William's daughter was going to perform for them. Jake briefly recalled the events from earlier in the day.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the Desert towns; the whole night to cross the sea and then they took a train through the mountain region so that when they finally arrived it was early evening the next day. The townspeople were very welcoming to the ambassador sharing their relief at his safe return. They showed even more appreciation for Sherry, notably anxious to see her performance in the later day.

Jake noticed how shy she was but despite it, she was very friendly. When everyone shrank away from him – the '_big bad tyrant_', she stepped in and announced he was her protector and asked that they treat him fairly.

The entire way here, she was kind to him.

While others feigned their kindness, he oddly felt hers was…genuine. There was no shrinking away at any point from her. She would glance at him and smile every time, even asking him to find a nice shady spot to get out of the sun once they arrived…

He thought she was strange…

Even stranger, he followed her advice.

…Although he did decide to stay nearby her location to keep an eye on her. After all, he was getting paid to do this.

He planned to party with that money once he made it back to Raccoon. He could do whatever he wanted for free there but it was always fun to throw money around and impress the locals.

The sun had finally set and Jake became aware of Sherry leaving her temporary residence. She was wearing a blue jacket with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows on top of a beige lightweight sundress that extended down to her ankles, flowing elegantly in the breeze. On her feet was a pair of tall brown tie up boots that stopped beneath her calves. She had a big straw hat tied loosely around her neck and a guitar strapped around her torso.

She stuck out like a sour thumb compared to the others style of dress.

He followed her by jumping roof to roof – careful to remain undetected. The journey came to cease a few residences down in front of what looked to be an outdoor pub. There were canopies standing erect in sporadic places, candles lit here and there and some interesting decorations.

Not long after she arrived, many residents flooded the area and Jake remained on the building nearby so that he could still see her. Apparently she wasn't the only one performing as he could see musicians setting up to play before her.

Jake observed the tyrants of the town taking up positions in front of everyone else so they could enjoy the performance better. As always, they are entitled to merits the mortals are not.

He smirked with amusement, _I have a better seat than all of you. _When the first band began to play, his steely gaze traveled to the bashful blonde he was protecting. She was clapping and dancing around to the music…

With a tyrant right beside her.

_What's with her…?_

After all the time he'd been on this earth, it wasn't often someone stuck out to him but she did.

Of course he knew who she was. After all his years of being around, he didn't forget faces – he especially could not mistake her big watery eyes for anyone else.

She was that little girl he rescued ten years before on the bridge.

He could still remember her asinine declaration from ten years ago and even though he'd long discarded the idea of what she believed in holding merit, he felt it was easy to assume that her willingness to sit near him without issue and even dance beside a tyrant was because she still held hope that unity would one day be realized.

She was a fool.

His kind didn't believe in 'bonds' – only hostility. Eventually she would see that for herself.

* * *

Sherry observed Jake's dark figure on the nearby rooftop. It felt like his cold eyes were drilling through her soul. She tried not to stare back but she wondered did he remember her at all.

It was now her time to perform and as she stepped into the spot light with a demure smile, she removed her jacket – sitting it on a post nearby. She took one last gander at Jake and reminded herself she wasn't alone in this new village. She had someone else looking after her.

She had never performed outside the residence in Raccoon city – doing this in a foreign country was scary but she was excited too. _Calm down Sherry, you can do this… Claire taught you well remember?_

Taking a deep breath, she started to sing.

* * *

Jake watched quietly as Sherry finished her song with a bow as the crowd cheered loudly for her. The demure blonde just waved and inclined her head respectfully, her cheeks were pink and there was just this glow to her.

Her voice… it was _enchanting_ and she was very talented with her guitar too.

He'd heard her voice before, quite often around the tower. He was always curious as to who was responsible… Imagine his surprise that it was the dainty daughter of William.

Her voice was soft, sultry and… like a _siren's _melodic seduction.

The hardened man was silent as he peered down to her. Her song was pure, hopeful and innocent.

She was impeccably angelic.

It sickened him.

_Great, it's always the 'pure-hearted' ones that wanna be nice. People are so typical, same ole story every damn time. _He hopped away from the rooftop, bored of watching his client's boring 'heavenly' display.

Just as he was about to leave, he observed the sudden increase in tyrants around her. All admiring her for various reasons – Jake was sure that they were drawn into her by her voice. He watched her bashfully excuse herself from their company to retrieve her coat and stride through the hordes of others applauding her.

_Hmm… could it be that she is some sort of temptress? _He wondered seeing the immortals trail a safe distance behind her but rudely pushing away the other humans – cursing at them and growling obscenities. _Perhaps that delicate image is a façade to lure men into her grasp… maybe she's a siren hiding behind a pristine cloak. Hmm… sounds fun. _He smirked, finding it amusing that she was capable of seducing so many tyrants with ease and they still maintain their animalistic ways with other mortals.

"I'll just have to be careful around you now won't I, _Siren_?" he purred, his eyes following her as she disappeared into the crowd.

If that ethereal look of hers was in fact a façade, he fancied he just might have some fun after all. _I'll just have to do whatever it takes to shatter that cloak of innocence, now won't I?_

He started after her – intent on maintaining his role as her shadow. As he neared, his nose picked up on a familiar odor.

He quickly scanned the hordes below, no one was harmed in anyway.

But there was no mistaking it – that was the stench of blood.

His sensitive ears picked up the sound of a screech in the distance. Shortly after that, a bloodcurdling scream sounded out in the town. It could be identified as a woman's.

"_We're under attack_!" someone cried out and immediately the civilians broke out into a hysterical frenzy.

Jake looked just in time to see Sherry be snatched up by a tyrant – whether it was an enemy or villager, he didn't care.

She was his to protect.

Otherwise he won't get paid.

* * *

Sherry squeaked as she was stolen away from the havoc into a strangers arm. She blinked with confusion at her captor – it was the ambassador's adopted son; a tyrant by the name of Lee. He was tall, rugged looking – he had the appearance of a man in his 30's though he could be easily older than a century like many others.

When they landed in a secluded area, Sherry gently pried herself from his arms to peek around a corner. She could see a tyrant jump on top of a woman and begin bashing her face into the dirt and sandy ground. She gasped in horror and was yanked back behind the wall when someone pulled on her guitar.

The blonde whirled around to face Lee, he smirked devilishly at her in the night, and his sharp fang's glistened in the moonlight. Sherry furrowed her brow with suspicion, "Pardon me Mister Lee, but aren't you supposed to be helping the villagers?" she asked slowly, well aware that she could anger him and didn't want that at all.

"Why? Don't you want me to protect you, pretty girl…?" he sang with a dark chuckle.

"I-I have my own escort…" she replied meekly, "He should be around."

"You mean that _half-breed_?" He scoffed, "He's hardly a threat – let alone a bodyguard."

_He called Mr. Jake a half-breed – just like they did to the man who saved me ten years ago! There's no mistaking it now, Mr. Jake and my hero really __**are**__ the same man! _Sherry felt delighted at her revelation though she wasn't sure she should tolerate this tyrant demeaning Jake. She had just pushed herself to scold the tyrant but was stunned when she saw a dark figure loom behind him.

"I mean really? What kind of coward runs away from home because he –"

He never got to finish his statement. He choked up and let out a cough, blood escaped his mouth and Sherry sprang away so she wouldn't be covered in it. Lee collapsed to the ground, clearly dead. Sherry immediately looked away from the body, unable to handle the sight of something so awful.

"Running off with strangers is so unfitting for a daughter of a mayor, don't you think?" the mysterious figure said to her, his tone dripping with venom.

She gasped, staring into eyes as cold as winter. "What? N-No, Mr. Jake, I didn't –"

"Forget it – let's get going."

Sherry didn't have a chance to say a word before she was scooped into his arms bridal style and they sprang away.

She shut her eyes tightly, releasing a fearful sound because they were so high in the air but eventually peeked open her eyes and was amazed by how high he was able to leap. She breathed out a sound of astonishment but Jake ignored her – he had more important things on his mind.

Though he did realize that she had very flattering aroma…. Rose oil – she smelled just like roses and oil. _Temptress… _He thought with a smirk.

When they landed, they were in the midst of some violence, people were quickly being slaughtered by tyrants – Sherry dreaded to think the city would be nothing but a ghost town by morning. She felt sick to her stomach when she saw a man get impaled on a metal post by two tyrants, they laughed with glee as he suffered.

The blonde was mortified – she knew what tyrants were capable of but this was gruesome! They were literally like beasts!

She buried her face into her escorts' chest and started to weep – she was desperate to get the image of this carnage around her out of her mind. _Why are they doing this?_

Jake thought he would feel satisfied seeing her start to cry. He had done this on purpose after all. He could have easily gotten them out of the village much quicker but he chose to show her the horrors of what tyrants were able to do…

So why were her tears bothering him?

He frowned to himself and gradually picked up speed. _She's seen enough… _He listened to her hiccups and soft cries and it… threw him off. _Jeez, she must have seduced me after all..._

On the outskirts of the colony, Jake searched around for some sort of means of transportation. Sherry felt like nothing in his arms, she was light as a feather with his impressive strength – but he had no intent on carrying her like she was a princess all the way back and definitely was tired of her soaking his cloak with her tears.

His eyes spotted a few sand rail's [sand cars / dune buggies] on his right. They must have been used by the tyrants invading the town. Spotting one in particular – he chose it based on the size. It had two seats and an all-black finish, he assumed it would be perfect for an escape in the dark of the night.

He quickly sprinted over and released her to sandy ground; her boots were steadily sinking into the soft grit. "Alright," he started gruffly. "Get in, put your seat belt on and –"

The loud screech came again and Sherry watched with horror as Jake was tackled to the ground by a tyrant. "_Jake_!" she cried out.

* * *

Jake crashed into the sand and rolled about with a rabid tyrant on him. He smirked with amusement that the thing thought it could catch him by surprise but he was expecting this – he just had to make sure it jumped him instead of her.

His hand was firmly locked on the tyrant's bottom jaw as he held it in place. It was croaking with pain but he was silently reveling in its agony. Hearing Sherry call out his name, he glanced in her direction to send her a hard glare. "Shut up and go! I'll catch up to you!" he ordered with a growl, kicking the tyrant off into the sand.

When he rose to his feet, he saw her still standing there, her expression of shock and… worry? _Why the hell would she be worried about me? What is she, stupid? _"What the hell are you doing?! Get the fuck outta here –"

The tyrant sprang at her and Jake grabbed them mid-air and slammed them onto the ground, "**GO**!" he roared.

She finally nodded and twirled around to stumble in the sand towards the vehicle.

He watched her go but just as he got ready to finish the tyrant off, he was blinded by the thick grit of sand – courtesy of the vicious predator he was opposing.

The frantic blonde removed her guitar and prepared to sit it down inside the dune buggy only to hear Jake let out a loud, inhuman growl. She directed her attention to him and saw him doubled over, rubbing his eyes. She made a sharp intake of air and got ready to hurry over to him. The tyrant he was fighting was coming at him with deadly intent – she could see it had its fangs bared.

Coming alive, Sherry raced over – her guitar in hand. "You leave him alone!" she shouted.

Hearing Sherry's voice, Jake quickly wiped away the remnants of the grit from his eyes just in time to see the woman slam her guitar over the back of the tyrant's head. Her instrument crumbled on impact but did knock the immortal down face first in the sand – it unleashed a beast-like wail as it fell.

Seizing the moment, Jake plunged his fist into the downed tyrant's head. It cracked open when his fist went through its skull and brain matter spilled everywhere. The attacker was finally dead.

Jake directed his attention to his breathless and panting client. She was sitting beside him, her hands buried in the sand as well as her knees. He observed that she had gotten blood droplets on her dress, nothing too many people would notice but with his eyes – it was distinct. Sherry lifts her head once she finally steadied her breathing and was met with who 'Jake' truly was…

The hybrid must not have noticed yet but his hood was no longer over his head.

He had short auburn hair styled in a buzz cut, very sharp features, and a long scar trailing down the left side of his face. His icy orbs were even more distinct without the hoodie. Sherry also descried that he had great lips…

He was incredibly handsome.

She blushed heavily and offered a demure smile to him even though he was staring at her with a mix of anger, confusion and irritation. "Are… are you okay, Jake?" she asked, almost with a whisper. _By God he's a dream…_ She stared at him hopelessly, dazzled by his looks.

He was the perfect combination of edgy and dreamy… _Just like I dreamed he would be…_

If he noticed that she dropped the 'Mr.' from his name, he hadn't mentioned it. "You shouldn't have done that, _bambina_." he scolded sharply.

"I know… but I wasn't going to let anything happen to you."

"What the hell –" another screech could be heard in the distance. "Never mind, let's go." started towards the vehicle with her trailing behind – he had to step over the shattered remains of her guitar to get to the sand car. "Your guitar's totaled." he stated with a smirk as he hopped into the driver's seat.

"Yeah, but I don't care – I can get another instrument but we only have one life to live." she said, locking in her seatbelt.

Jake paid her no mind as he ignited the engine and sped away from the town but not before putting his hood back onto his head. Sherry pouted for a moment – she liked the way he looked.

_Why does he hide his face?_

Hearing a loud crack behind them, Sherry glanced back just in time to see flames overtake what was left of the sandy colony. It was devastating to think that it all happened so fast. She felt nauseous at the idea that her home in Raccoon could one day be threatened by such a tragedy.

Would the tyrants in Raccoon defend them from their own kind? Or would they do the same as the ones here – leave them all to suffer and die?

She turned her attention back to Jake and hoped that he would be the one to save her if that ever happened. After all, she would do anything to protect him.

Jake kept up the speed of the sand car as they proceeded further into the desert – intent on making their way back to Raccoon city. The sooner he got back to Raccoon and received his money, the better.

* * *

A/N: Well hello! Welcome to "_Hybrid Dreams_" everyone! ;) This is gonna be one hell of a ride! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter because I'm already working on the second one. XD

The world in this fic is in shambles so countries like Italy, etc have been torn apart. Some have become islands, others have been wiped out. Over the course of the fic, more worldly locations will be identified and termed differently but I'll let you know what they are as we go along.

Translations and Notes: Jake speaks Italian in this fic – here's a few translations; 'Bambina' means 'Little girl', 'Donna' means 'Woman', 'Bene' means 'Alright', 'Buona sera' means 'Good evening', and 'Signore' means 'Sir/Mister'.

Reviews are loved and feedback too. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to let me know.

I'll be seeing everyone soon and lots of love!

-Vio


	2. The Primitives

Chapter Two

**The Primitives**

_These individuals are figures of the past that shine light on the future…_

* * *

The dune buggy ran out of gas just as sunrise slowly begun to rise - leaving Jake and Sherry without a choice but to press forward on foot. Luckily they had reached the mountainous outskirts of the desert by the time the car stopped on them but they were still very far from the shore. At least now that they reached the mountains they knew they were closing in on their destination. This was point C - point B was the shore and Raccoon city was the end result, point A. They only had to get past the mountains to meet the shore – from there they would sail a boat back to their homelands.

However, ascending the mountain region itself was quite the challenge.

Jake recalled their first trip over the terrain being quite a breeze but that was because they had a guide, plenty of supplies to keep them energized and taken the train that stretched all across the desert – including through the mountains. This time around, he and Sherry had nothing but the clothes on their backs.

This would prove a challenge indeed.

"Well, we made it this far…" Sherry started with a sigh, "Let's just try to remember how we got here before and that should help."

Jake walked ahead, starting up the rocky land and carefully watching his footing. Sherry followed closely behind though having a bit more trouble than he was. With the sun slowly rising into the skies, the region was still less than adequately lit but the pleasant song of the early morning birds sounded out around them and provided alleviation.

They had escaped the vicious raid of the tyrants. That in itself was enough to ease anyone.

The mountains were tall and vast. Their height wasn't so steep that they might touch the heavens but their width seemed to stretch on for miles. Despite being so close to the desert lands, it seemed less dry - though not by much and there was a more drastic wind in the new terrain that was more than welcomed. Dry dirt aligned the bottom of the region as the sand dissipated and was replaced with withering grasslands and shrubs.

As he progressed further, Jake could feel his body stiffening. He didn't have a weakness against the sun but he didn't like it much.

"Jake –"

"Don't start bothering me,_ accidenti_." he grumbled gruffly. He could feel the sun's radiance piercing through his heavy cloak and that in itself was enough to piss him off – he certainly didn't feel like hearing her.

"Are you okay? I know your kind doesn't like –"

"I don't have the same weakness as the others, _bambina_ – so don't even try concerning yourself with me because it's neither needed nor wanted." he retorted with his back to her.

She said nothing more and that satisfied him. He sniffed the air and was able to detect the stench of burning wood and a fire nearby. It wasn't too far away – perhaps if they followed the mountain path they could come right to the source. Or he could always speed up the process by carrying her.

If they were near a small settlement, he could leave her with the villagers and then find some shade – and water would be nice too.

"Climb on." he instructed with a firm tone.

Sherry appeared confused by his command so he snapped a harsh glare over his shoulder at her and she jumped from the intensity. "M-My apologies, Jake!" she squeaked and came up to him.

Jake let out a short-patient huff when she nervously looked him over – trying to figure out what he wanted her to do. He stood there, stiff as a statue – waiting for her to finish being so awkward.

"Um, Jake… _Whoa_!" she yelped as he threw her over his shoulder.

While she fidgeted uncomfortably, he quickly scanned the area with his icy orbs and then made a quick dash forward.

* * *

Sherry barely had a moment to breathe before he quickly sprinted up the mountain, combining incredible acceleration and dexterity to ascend the terrain without issue. She could feel his hardened bicep clutching around her calves to keep her in place and tried her hardest not to whine or complain about his broad shoulder being uncomfortable for her stomach.

Luckily the nauseating and uncomfortable trip didn't last long as they came to a stop after one large leap and Sherry became aware of what stopped their progress when she heard a few gasps of surprise...

_People. _

She fidgeted vigorously to get down and felt her cheeks heat up when he cupped her supple ass cheeks for a moment before slowly releasing her to the ground. _It had to be an accident… _

She cleared her throat and turned to face the strangers, willing herself to relinquish her thoughts of him for the time being.

There were two guards in front of a massive gate made of heavily processed rock. Sherry was amazed that a town riding up the side of the mountain could be seen over the barrier, it appeared to be a very active community. She briefly wondered why they hadn't seen this colony while traveling to the Desert towns but figured it was probably purposely avoided.

Not all colonies got along with each other; even if they were in the same region.

She briefly wondered would they allow them to enter. She knew she would have to be nice and try some pleading because she was desperately in need of water and food. If she wasn't careful, these people could shoo her away.

But when it involved tyrants – the civilians had no choice but to cooperate.

In other words, Jake could be their ticket inside.

"Hello," Sherry greeted them kindly with a shy smile, "We're trying to get past the mountains to reach the sea – do you mind if –"

"Let us in – now." Jake commanded, cutting her off.

The guards appeared very weary of the hybrid, quickly relinquishing any defensive procedures, "But of course, sir…"

They immediately ordered the gatekeepers to open the doors. The heavy doors slowly creaked open, whisking around dust, dirt and grit as it opened inward – finally coming to a stop as the keepers awaited their entry.

Sherry sent Jake a look of displeasure but it went ignored as he walked ahead into the foreign colony without saying another word. Sherry still felt crappy that their entry had to be demanded instead of kindly requested so she made sure to turn to the guards and issue an apology for both of their sake.

_Wow Jake, way to abuse your power. _She sighed, following behind him. _But then again… he is a tyrant and as such he has more rights than we do. But that doesn't mean he has to be so cold…_

* * *

The colony was beautiful.

Formatted like apartments, Sherry's childlike eyes associated the homes likeness to little boxes and the upper regions carried a monumental semblance in the early day. Cacti were abundant in this region as well as other shrubs – fauna on the other hand was scarce. There were dirt roads specially made to give access for bikes and sand cars to travel. Merchants and markets were everywhere with various supplies for the townspeople.

Sherry wondered was this place frequented by visitors – she could see that it was quite a spot for a vacation of sorts. Different scenery for those used to seeing greenery and the coming and going of seasons. It also was moderately advanced - apparent by the vehicles.

While she didn't grow up around automobiles and such, Sherry was familiar with them because of Claire and her many stories from her long history of worldly campaigns. Whatever made the woman decide to settle in Raccoon city was beyond her comprehension.

The early sun beamed down onto the earth to offer pleasant warmth but it was enough to make Sherry place her hat on her head for protection. As she trailed behind Jake, she dreaded to see the villagers stop their activities so abruptly to stare at them. When Jake continued forward and neared them, the people began scurrying into their homes with their children in tow.

Their fear of tyrants was clear.

The petite blonde glanced to Jake but couldn't see his expression with his cloak covering him as usual. She felt for him – it must be awful to walk into a foreign territory or anywhere for that matter and be looked at as a malicious being… even though he'd done nothing to any of them.

At that moment, a young child raced out in front of them chasing a ball. The ball rolled in front of Jake and the child stopped – his eyes wide as he stared up at Jake's statuesque figure. Sherry made a silent prayer that the hybrid wouldn't be mean to the child in front of so many people – anxiously waiting for the immortal to do something and justify their fears of him.

His next action really caught her off guard…

Instead of scold the child for getting in his way, Jake crouched down to pick up the purple ball and then went on to hand it to the child.

Sherry felt her heart do leaps in her chest. That little act of kindness… was so unlike a tyrant – she thought it was very considerate and sweet of him. _Could it… could it be because he's a half-breed like they say? _

"Thanks, mister!" the child showed great gratitude by offering a bright smile. Sherry simpered from the tall half-tyrant's side, trying to not get emotional from the moment. She wished she could see Jake's face – to see how he reacted to the child's cheer.

The moment was interrupted by a woman; probably the child's mother. She raced over and grasped him into her arms but not before a momentary pause so the two travelers could observe her eyes were clouded by fear. She quickly apologized and stumbled into a nearby home with the child, leaving Jake and Sherry behind… the child's ball was also left behind, rolling along the ground like it had before but this time, no one would come for it.

Sherry was disheartened. She couldn't grasp why the woman was so overcome with fear even though Jake hadn't brought any harm to her son – nor gave her any reason to expect an act of malevolence from him.

He was being judged by them for being a tyrant. He wasn't even a full-blood one and they still treated him like a monster…

_Jake can be intimidating but this is ridiculous. He just showed an act of benevolence and they run from him like he has a disease… _Sherry bit her lip in disgust._  
_

She came to stand in front of Jake and shot a nasty look to the villagers [though it was more like a pout on her part]. Feeling very sympathetic and… _brave_ – she gripped the hybrid's sleeve and pressed forward – ignoring the whispers and mindless gossip from the civilians. She couldn't just stand there and let them act like jerks to him.

_The people in Raccoon don't like tyrants either, but at least they respect them. These people are just… argh. _She sighed.

Eventually, she realized he hadn't pulled away from her but she just didn't have the nerve to turn and look at him. _Just press forward Sherry… whatever you do – do not look back at him._

They came to a single floor motel, blue in color and like the rest of the town, square in shape. The motel sign was a piece of cloth and it blew gently in the wind with the letters in red spray paint. "Um, let's see if they're willing to offer us a place to stay. It could be nice to stock up on some supplies while we're at it, right?" her voice was shaky and she was fearful he would snap on her at any minute.

He said nothing.

For a moment, she wondered did she grab the wrong guy… She swallowed roughly to gather composure and then released his sleeve to gently grip her fingers around the skin of his wrist in between the dark green gloves he wore and the sleeve of his cloak.

Her stomach twisted into a knot when she heard a distinct low and inhuman gurgle from his throat.

Oh yeah, she had the right person alright.

The sound he made was almost a bellow but there was a double tone to it… like a human grumble beneath the croak of a… _frog_? She could have sworn she heard a bear's growl in there too.

How _fascinating_… yet _weird_.

She was even more nervous now, _What does that sound mean? Am I upsetting him? _

She didn't let go – she couldn't let him know she was nervous or he would assume she feared him like the others. No, she would stick this out – for his sake. He needed someone to be unafraid of him and that someone would be her.

Sherry gently guided Jake inside the motel – it didn't look too bad inside. Sandstone walls, tiled floors [though cracked and broken], and cactus plants on either side of the front desk. When the clerk behind the counter caught sight of Sherry he appeared interested but once he saw the tall, dark figure being pulled behind her, his demeanor changed drastically.

"Hello mister t-tyrant… shall I get a room for you and your woman?"

Sherry felt her face heat up from being called his woman – but the silly, hopeful woman didn't dispute the title. "That would be wonderful – thanks!" she said quickly.

A moment later she was handed a key by the clerk and then silently tugged the mysterious half-breed behind her to the outside where their room would be.

* * *

The room wasn't too bad though there was poor lighting but that very well could be because of the dark curtains over the single window. A queen sized bed was against the wall with a nightstand beside it. Two couches; the armchair beside the wall and a loveseat on the other side of the bed – both green in color. A small table was in front of the window with two chairs. An oval shaped doorway provided access to a bathroom, complete with a toilet, shower and sink.

Now that they were alone, she breathed a sigh of relief and slowly released him. She walked towards the window to peer out the curtains after pushing her hat off her head. She could see the mountain of course but what really caught her interest was the road that stretched along the surface of it… _Maybe if we can get a vehicle we can drive it out of here and get to the shore…_

"You've got balls, _Sirena_…" Jake said suddenly – sending a chill down her spine. She whirled around to him, he was staring at her with those icy stones of his; hands shoved into his pockets – he looked dangerous and yet the petite woman couldn't feel animosity from him. "Most women wouldn't dare touch a tyrant – let alone one like me." he finished with a grin...

She noticed that he teeth weren't sharp today... _That's odd..._

"Like _you_?" she repeated, stepping closer to him. "Why should I be weary to touch you, Jake? How are you any different from the other tyrants?" she kept her tone soft, hoping to lull him into her grasp – to pull him to her just enough that she could learn more of the mystery behind him. "How are are you any different from _me_?" that last part was whispered but she knew he could hear her.

_I want to learn as much about you as I can… _

He stepped closer too – almost a whole foot taller, he towered over her but she didn't falter."Nice try, _Siren_ – but that ain't working on me." he said softly though there was a slight song to his words – he was mocking her. "You know what I am but that's about all you're gonna learn. But please, keep trying – it's _amusing_." he purred with a smirk in the dark of his hood.

This time, she saw his fangs again... _What's the trick with that...?_

"Why are you calling me that?" she asked carefully. She wasn't sure whether to be offended by the title or flattered.

He was in so little words – calling her a seductress.

_A siren is a woman of myth who enchants men with her voice and makes them putty in her hands. If Jake's calling me a siren, he must think I'm alluring… and that's good right?_

Jake scoffed at her and went to glance out of the window, seemingly ignoring her question.

Sherry wanted to push him a little more but fancied a better time would come for that, "Jake, I'm going to go see if I can gather some information about this place. There's a road out back that should take us out of here to the shore. Maybe I can get us a vehicle but while I'm at it, I may as well pick up a few supplies… You could stay here until the sun sets since I'm sure it bothers you…"

She heard no response so she took that as an invitation to leave. She turned to make her way for the door but was surprised when she felt his hand grip hers tightly, yanking her back to him.

This time, she shrank under his heavy glare. She had no idea why he was suddenly so angry…

"What makes you think I'm gonna let you wander off alone? Your dear ole dad's paying me to _look after you_ – which means you do what **I** tell _you_ to do, not the other way around, _bambina_."

Sherry furrowed her brows but gently tried to pry his hand from hers, "Jake please, I'm capable of more than you think. And please stop calling me 'bambina'. I'm not a _little girl_ so I'd appreciate if you would stop calling me that." she told him albeit maintaining her polite tone.

His grip tightened, "Do you think this is a joke?"

"No this it is not a joke, Jake. I just want to help you out and well… these people are scared of you." she said, "I really don't like seeing them treat you with such apprehension and I'm not gonna sit back and let them. Please let me quickly get our things and we can go so you don't have to deal with this."

Jake said nothing; he stared blankly at her and Sherry had to stop herself from gazing into his eyes and letting him enchant her. But gosh, they sure were beautiful – just like crystals. "Jake listen… I'm not trying to be a burden, I just don't want you to do all the work – I want to be useful. After all, it is just the two of us – all we have is each other so…"

"_Each other_…?" he repeated it with scrutiny.

She nodded, "You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours so… let's work together."

"You just don't get it do you?" he said with narrowed eyes.

Sherry blinked at him with obvious disbelief, she didn't understand what was so hard about letting her help him. "Jake, I promise you that I won't do anything stupid… please just let me go." she caressed his hand and that caused him to snatch it away like she burned him.

"_Non mi rompere i coglioni…_" he grumbled darkly, gritting his sharp fangs at her. He stared long and hard at her and she avoided his gaze.

"What does that mean?" she shook her head – he was really sending her mind for a loop here.

He seemed to ignore her question once again but what he asked her was strange – at least in her opinion, "Aren't you tired?"

The question caught her off guard – he actually sounded… curious. She sent him a wide-eyed look, "A little but you need the rest more than I do. I can sleep tonight." she replied, lowering her gaze to face the floor.

"_No, non_." he retorted harshly. "I already told you I don't have the same weaknesses as other tyrants _dammit_ so stop making assumptions about me. And I don't give a flying fuck about who scared of me and who isn't - the whole world can kiss my ass. Now stop thinking so damn hard and just chill - would ya?"

_Perhaps I should just listen to him. Besides if I don't – he'll probably start cursing me out in Italian more often… _

Sherry sat down on the bed and looked up at him meekly, "I'm sorry… I don't mean to offend you. I'm just trying to help."

"Sleep."

"Pardon?"

"I said: Go. To. Sleep." he walked past her to the loveseat couch. He flopped down onto it, folded his arms behind his head, and then bent his knees, kicking his right leg over his left so that his legs were crossed.

Sherry was dumbfounded but remained silent – she couldn't believe him! He demanded she go to sleep and he was treating her like some little girl who needed to be watched all the time! She was never one to get herself into bad predicaments – Okay so maybe that wasn't necessarily true…

_Wait… could it be that he remembers what happened when I was younger and is just being protective? _

_Or maybe he's just trying to do his job and I'm not making it easy for him. _She sighed, taking one of the pillows into her hands to fiddle with it.

"You're not sleeping, _Sirena_."

She looked helplessly to him; he was making her feel like a child bossing her around like this. But what else could he do – the last time he met her was when she was little. He must think of her as still being that little girl who needs to be watched and looked after…

_Eventually I'll show him I've grown up since then… but for now, I shouldn't make his job hard for him. _

With a sigh, she laid on her side, tucking the pillow under her head. The bed was comfortable and the room was cool thanks to the shades blocking the sun. A blissful hum escaped her as she felt satisfied to finally rest after being on the run all night. Gradually her eye lids fluttered to a close and soon enough, she was drifting off into dreams.

But not before hearing Jake say to her, "_Brava ragazza_…"

* * *

When she awoke, she found he was gone from the room – no sign of him anywhere; he had vanished like the phantom he always was.

As she sat up on the bed, she was drawn to the captivating fluorescence peeking through the dark curtains in the room. The sun was setting – she had slept the entire day and now there was no guarantee she would get to speak with any of the locals about anything… They may go into hiding because of the tyrants surfacing at night.

Even worse, she felt famished and in dire need of food and water.

_Where did Jake go…? _She wondered quietly until her stomach rumbled once again.

Boy was she hungry.

A sudden knock on the door alerted her. She slid from the bed to answer and was surprised to see a young woman standing there with a box in one hand and a canteen in the other. "Pardon me, ma'am but mister tyrant requests that I bring you some food and water…"

_He's ordering these people around? _Sherry simpered, accepting the items from the girl and nearly purring when the foods aroma filled her nostrils. It smelled delightful… "Gosh, thank you – this smells really good." she sang with a smile.

"You are most welcome, but um he also requests that I bring you some clean clothes and I was wondering what your size is?"

_Wow, sounds like he's covering everything I wanted to. I guess he just wanted to do it instead of me… Oh well, no need of complaining – at least it's done. _She sighed, _Still, I'm not comfortable telling people to do things for me… _"That's not necessary – if you show me were the clothing stores are I can select something to wear."

"Ma'am please, he's quite frightening…" she pleaded with her head bowed. "I mean, I've never seen a tyrant that comes out during the day and night… he's surely beyond this world."

Sherry let out another sigh and beckoned the girl to stand straight, "Alright…" She gave the girl her measurements and sent her on her way.

Once she was alone again, she sat on the bed and opened the box of food. Inside was some very elaborate rice dish that Sherry had never seen before in her life but she tried it and found it thoroughly enjoyable.

While she ate she was trying to decipher what their next move would be. They would need to make their way home of course but she tried to imagine what was to come.

In one day, she'd seen too much and was very much uncomfortable. She made a tremendous effort to erase the image of the tyrants destroying the Desert town for her own sake. Sure, she didn't like it one bit but she didn't want to fear or hate them. Surely they had their reasoning right…?

_No… there's no reason in the world that could excuse such a brutality. _She then recalled the treatment the civilians in this town gave Jake and that made her feel disgusted with her own kind – but then again, seeing what the tyrants did to the Desert towns… she couldn't say their fear was baseless.

She felt disgusted with herself for letting it bother her so much. The world was always threatening her beliefs and rocking her to the core – but she couldn't let the world conquer her and destroy what brought her happiness.

No matter what, she was going to smile. For her own sake... and for Jake's.

_I wonder how Jake feels, being a hybrid probably makes things difficult for him._ _As a hybrid, Jake must feel like he doesn't fit in anywhere… Not with humans or tyrants…_

Just then, the girl returned and in her arms was a set of clothes; a sleeveless white blouse, some plain underwear and jean shorts. Sherry thanked the girl [silently noticing no bra was available and cursing it] and took the clothes from her to retreat into the bathroom where she would shower and change before going out into the world.

But first…

"Excuse me," the girl stopped at the doorway and Sherry simpered to her, "Do you mind feeding me some info about this place? I'll be quick in the shower – just promise me you'll be around when I come back…"

The girl smiled sweetly and it was then that she noticed just how young she looked, "Are you sure?" Sherry nodded. "Okay – I'll wait outside!"

* * *

When Sherry emerged from the bathroom she felt brand new. Her hair and body was clean and she felt great. The new clothes she had on were quite comfy too, she imagined she could get anywhere in them. The shirt stopped just over her belly button where it tied and the shorts weren't too inadequate but they were definitely close to riding her buttocks…

And she had no bra to wear. How convenient.

Still, she felt clean and that was all that mattered.

Sherry confirmed that this town had most of the same necessities that Raccoon city did if not more. They had working sewage and waterways as well but unlike Raccoon they had vehicles similar to the ones in the Desert towns. Raccoon didn't have vehicles; they used carriages and rode horses – sometimes even elk and deer as a means of transportation.

The food was different too but apparently the same thing applied to every other colony – something she learned from Claire.

The girl from earlier met her outside of the motel and Sherry noticed how dark it was in the mountainous area now that dusk had come and gone. Luminous lanterns lined everywhere, hanging from homes and sitting along the ground. Sherry looked up at the houses on the elevated terrain and silently noted how lovely the lights looked from where she was.

"Hi, thanks for waiting." she greeted kindly and the girl returned the gesture. "I don't believe I got your name?"

"It's Manuela, and you are?" Manuela was shorter than herself and notably thinner – despite this she was very pretty with hair the color of sand, eyes blue like the sky and olive skin.

"My name's Sherry, it's nice to meet you Manuela." Sherry started ahead, her eyes traveling to the evening sky and the millions of stars brilliantly twinkling. "It's beautiful here – I mean, I look at the night skies quite often but the lighting here is just amazing…"

The girl smiled some, "Ah, well I've lived here long enough to get used to it." she said while trailing behind the blonde woman. "May I ask where are you from, Miss Sherry?"

"Sherry's fine," she told her growing embarrassed by the formality. She slowed down so the girl could catch up, "Well, I'm from a place quite some way away from here, it's called Raccoon city – have you heard of it?"

"I don't believe I have," she replied, shaking her head. "I've traveled a great deal throughout my lifetime but that certainly doesn't ring a bell."

Sherry furrowed her brow in thought, _Could she be a tyrant…? Nah, Claire's a human and she's traveled a lot too so... ah whatever. _She figured she'd get more answers about the town before delving any further into that subject. "Where are we?"

"Mixcoatl Village, this place is one of the Desert Towns."

"Just how many towns are there?"

Manuela scrunched up her face, deep in thought. "To my knowledge there are only four."

"Make that three now…" Sherry said morosely, shaking her head. "I was in the one not too far from here… I wish I could tell you the name of it but it slipped my mind."

"I think I know which one you're speaking of… there is only one within short reach of us, the others are quite distant from here. Was the town destroyed recently or something?"

"Try last night… that's why we are here. The whole place was raided by tyrants last night and we had no choice but to escape before things got too ugly." She stopped to take the other woman's hands in her own. "I apologize for our sudden infringement on your small colony… We were trying to get away from the chaos… it was so awful." Her head downcast out of shame and a silent need for mercy from this woman…

"Miss Sherry please don't be ashamed… I am the one who is embarrassed…"

"Why?" Sherry asked with shock once she raised her head.

"Because my kind is so misguided…" she sighed.

Sherry knew she'd confirmed her suspicion… but she felt sympathetic to this youthful tyrant woman, "Misguided…?" Sherry could feel a deep internal turmoil within this woman and it was unlike many other tyrants she encountered – she felt no hostility from Manuela, only anguish.

Sherry hadn't met a female tyrant before so this was a real refreshing encounter albeit odd. She figured she liked this woman – she was much smaller than her but she was still older than she was and that made her interesting. Not to mention she was so nice…

"Here in Mixcoatl is a small flock of our kind that isn't hostile like our brothers and sisters. We live in peace with your people and have done so for many years."

"Wow, I never would have thought that." said Sherry. "I mean, when we arrived, we were looked at with so much fear…"

"The citizens here are distrustful of outsiders, not just tyrants either. There are a few who aren't so fearful of travelers but the others are perturbed by all who are not citizens here." Manuela explained while facing the mountain terrain. "We don't blame them for being fearful – most of our species is not the friendliest so our civilians try to avoid coming in contact with the outside world – mortals and immortals alike."

"Why are they afraid of outsiders?" asked Sherry.

"Even mortals have a dark underbelly, Sherry…" Manuela replied with slanted eyes, "You'd be surprised by how quickly a mere mortal could exhibit an evil rivaled only by demons of mythology."

Sherry fiddled nervously with her necklace to remedy her rising affliction, "Gosh… so you guys provide these people with a feeling of safety then?"

Manuela nodded almost briskly, "That is correct. Also, they don't mind us because we've been here longer than this city has existed."

Sherry sent the woman a look of fascination, "Really? How long has this town been here?"

"Over a hundred years but we were here long before that."

"I always believed I would see the day that people of both species are able to live amongst each other and not spread hate." Sherry mused quietly, staring down at her boots as they continued to stroll. "And here I was starting to lose faith. I suppose I judged these people far too quickly. It takes a lot of guts and cooperation to be comfortable living with such diversity – even if it's narrowed to the city limits."

Manuela gave her a look of surprise and appreciation, "You are… unafraid of us, aren't you?"

Sherry blushed, "My father raised me to be kind to everyone – to be accepting… and to judge others on their character – not their species."

The sandy haired tyrant appeared delighted, she wrapped her arms around the taller blonde woman and buried her face into her comely, soft bosom – much to her surprise. She pulled away as soon as it happened, "My apologies – I'm just elated to meet a human who isn't fearful of us… and of course the fact that you are not of this town is even more refreshing. You are a rare kind indeed."

Sherry giggled, her blush never leaving her, "Ah, I give my father all the credit. He's a simple man with a heart of gold. I only hope I can carry on his pleasant demeanor."

"You do, Sherry – I can feel it from you. You're quite favorable for these terrible times." the girl blushed. "And forgive me for my earlier action, you see… being what I am, we are very we... _intimate_ people…"

Sherry knew exactly what the girl meant. _They like closeness... _She giggled and patted the tyrant's head with a bright smile, "No harm done. I mean, I actually enjoy hugs; they give me a moment of solace when I'm anxious."

"With your kind heart, surely the tyrant traveling with you is drawn to you."

That knocked her down a notch, "Actually he's quite distant… but I won't give up on him. He has a kind heart, I can feel it."

Manuela released her but took her hand, "Come, I can introduce you to the village elder – he is like myself but he is the one who enlightened the rest of us here."

"Um, okay - but are you sure -"

Sherry let out a feeble sound of surprise when she was scooped into the female tyrant's arms. She couldn't believe this mild-mannered and meek woman was so strong – let alone a tyrant!

_Perhaps I won't have to get answers from Jake – maybe Manuela can give me what I need…_

* * *

Manuela wasn't able to jump to the degree that Jake could or run as fast but she sure was incredible and unlike Jake, she didn't grip Sherry roughly or yank her around until she felt nauseous.

It was a very pleasant trip in comparison to the mysterious hybrid's treatment.

Once she released her, Sherry descried they were on the elevated region. It looked different than the lower because the homes were not in the form of apartment complexes, they were simple and appeared to be in the likeness of a tribe. The sound of owls hooting and coyote's in the distance echoed in the night.

The wind whistled around them in the cool of the night and Sherry could see a bonfire not too far away.

"Come, follow me Sherry." Manuela insisted, taking the woman's hand in hers. "Our kind has taken refuge up here not because your people are not comfortable with us… but because we hold no malicious intent against your kind unlike our brothers and sisters… and because we have found peace in the earth's natural perfection."

"You are nature lovers?" Sherry understood with a glint to her eye.

"Indeed."

Once they reached the bonfire, Sherry could see a few individuals sitting in a circle around it, playing instruments and appearing to enjoy themselves. When they became aware of her presence, the people rose to their feet and sent a wary stare in her direction. She felt shy suddenly – she was never good with strangers but she always put up a brave front for her own sake…

Manuela held up her hands and smiled before bowing in a greeting, "Hello everyone, this is Sherry… she is a human girl but her companion is one of our kind. She doesn't seem to be fearful of our kind and it's because of that I feel she should see us for what we really are…"

One man slowly pushed through the skeptical group members to stand before Sherry. He wasn't too tall but definitely towered over her petite form and wore face paint but didn't seem to have a threatening presence in the least bit. He smiled down to her and it brought the coy entertainer some relief.

"It isn't often we meet a human brave enough to come here. Welcome to Mixcoatl, Miss Sherry – I am Enrico, the leader of this small clan. Please, have a seat…" he gestured for her to have a seat nearby the bonfire. "Manuela, why don't you get Miss Sherry a blanket so she won't get too cold?"

"Yes sir." the small tyrant woman conceded as Sherry meekly took a seat on a particularly interesting woven quilt upon the ground. She didn't realize how chilly it really was around here until the man mentioned it.

"I am grateful for your hospitality," Sherry said softly, managing a smile though it quickly went crestfallen. "I'm regretful to say that I haven't witnessed the best examples for your kind recently… but I'm trying to remain undeterred and not be so judgmental like most others I meet."

Manuela returned with the blanket at that time and wrapped it around her shoulders, "Actually Miss Sherry, our kind does deserve the judgment we receive." Enrico told her and this perplexed her greatly. "We do not blame humans for being fearful of us… but I am afraid that this fear has been instilled within you for longer than you think."

"Pardon?" Sherry pressed curiously, "What do you mean by that?"

"The history of our kind and yours is a lot more troubled than most know because the truth has been hidden for so long. I can assure you that this sense of entitlement our kind has stems from the carnage of the past. Retribution is desired instead of forgiveness and therefore, no sign of a balance is clear yet."

"Most of us do not know how to treat human beings and thus we are abhorred for it – and we should be. Vengeance is never the answer to the past. Our kind should be ashamed for what we do."

"Vengeance?" Sherry echoed curiously.

"This uprising of mayhem is all an act of revenge. Both humans and our kind are at fault for what has occurred. Humans need to learn to acceptance, while our people need to practice introspection. If both of our species believed in solace, then perhaps the world wouldn't be so corrupt."

_Both our species believing in solace could rid the world of its corruption… _

"If a balance could be formed then that would be marvelous…" Manuela added quietly, enlisting agreement from her peers.

_Balance… _Sherry was taking mental notes of everything she was hearing. Here she was, hearing a direct plea for peace from an actual tyrant! She finally had proof that not all of them were such cold-hearted individuals like they always portrayed themselves as. They were capable of feeling shame, remorse, and joy, as well as be kind, generous people.

She couldn't ask for anything more… Except now she was curious…

"May I ask if it's possible for your kind to fall in lo –"

She was cut off by a sudden gust of wind and then sound of footsteps behind her.

* * *

Sherry whirled around to see none other than Jake making his trademark entrance – looming from nowhere.

The other tyrants appeared to go on the defensive in case he was hostile but Sherry quickly stood in front of him, placing her palms on his chest to hold him back in the event he sought to retaliate.

"Please – stand down, each of you." she pleaded. "This is my guardian and escort –"

Jake interrupted her with a casual smirk in the dark of his hood, "I've heard of you guys… you're the _primitives_ ain't cha?"

_Primitives…? _Sherry glanced back and forth between the elder and her protector. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

Jake held a stare down with the elder and it unnerved the delicate blonde. "They're primitives – it's a fancy word for _old ass tyrants_." Jake scoffed, "They've been around for over 700 years."

Sherry blinked, "Really? Wow... that would make them your ancestors wouldn't it?" she said with a smile, "You're pretty lucky then. It's not like I could say I've met my ancestors considering they've all passed on…" she humored a bit.

Jake was obviously not amused, "Tch, they ain't no ancestors of mine." he shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm in a league of my own."

Enrico tilted his head with interest of the enigmatic tyrant before him, "By God… You are a _hybrid_ are you not?" he asked with a an obvious elation though Sherry had no clue as to why.

Jake said nothing and Sherry glanced up at him helplessly, tightening her grip on the front of his cloak with a silent plea for him to be cordial though she knew it was pointless. He looked down at her momentarily and then returned it to the elder.

Manuela bit her lips, clearly nervous with Jake's sudden appearance. "Elder, that is the man I told you about. With the scary eyes…"

"Ah…" Enrico studied Jake with a sudden lightheartedness to him. "Are you going to answer my question, son?"

"I really wasn't planning to, _vecchio_." the mysterious hybrid slurred with a bored tone.

"Easy now," Sherry slightly scolded, "Please be respectful – these people have been nothing but kind to me."

He shrugged, "You shouldn't let their façade fool you, Siren. They're _tyrants_ – just like the rest."

That seemed to strike a nerve at Enrico, "Young man, we are not _tyrants_ – nor are you or any of the rest of our kind. A tyrant is a power hungry fool who thrives on mayhem and while that is what our kind tries to embody - it is nowhere close to what we truly are. A tyrant is the label our human counterparts have written us off as and it couldn't be farther from the truth - you are a fool for even believing yourself as that."

"Piss off." Jake growled.

"Stop it," Sherry pleaded and turned to Enrico and the others, "So you're really 'Primitives', instead of tyrants?" Sherry asked while still pressing her hands against Jake's chest.

"There's no difference between the two except the age. A tyrant is a tyrant." Jake said grimly.

Enrico glanced at Sherry, "Yes, we are called Primitives." he then returned his attention to Jake, "Son, I can tell you aren't very old at all - I'm guessing you're close to a century or two judging from your native tongue... but surely you know that as a half-breed you are a different sort but I suppose you don't understand how valuable you really are. As a hybrid, you are a beacon of light for us all, immortals and mortals alike. You are the balance between the two species and as such, you're –"

"Oh boy – another prophecy lesson – I'll save you the trouble of trying to lecture me." he interrupted boredly, "I'm only looking out for _myself_ – and her until I get paid." he gestured to Sherry behind him. "So you can take that philosophy somewhere else, _vecchio_."

Sherry pinched him but he didn't budge, "Would you please stop?"

Enrico sighed and lowered himself down to sit once again; Manuela and the others followed his example. He held out his hand to gesture the travelers to sit as well but before Sherry could do so, Jake grabbed her hand firmly in his. "We're not staying."

Sherry didn't want to leave yet; she had so many things she wanted to learn about them that she just couldn't allow Jake to pull her away. "Wait, I don't think that's a good idea," she began softly, her big watery eyes staring into his. "We have no clue of this terrain and we don't even have any supplies for the trip."

"We don't need anything, _bambina_." he growled, squeezing her hand rather aggressively. "Now let's go."

She narrowed her eyes, her patience slipping. She began digging her finger nails into his flesh in retaliation – he didn't even flinch from it though she could make him bleed if she wanted. "I listened to you earlier and slept nearly all day because you told me to. Now, it would be nice if you would let me chat with these nice people and then we can try going about our way…" she said sternly and her soft tone carried quite the edge to it.

Hearing an inhuman growl, Sherry knew she had upset him – but strangely, she wasn't as afraid of him. "You heard what I said, _bambina_ – now stop bull-shitin' me!"

He was getting angry and fast, but for what was her concern. Sherry glanced back at the 'Primitives' as they sent concerned looks in her direction. She smiled to them before turning her attention back to the brooding and irritable Jake – and then back to them. "Excuse us for a moment please…" she said sweetly.

The petite woman pulled Jake around a corner where she assumed they were out of sight and hearing range. "What is your problem?" she asked exhaustedly.

At that moment, Sherry was thrown for a loop when her back collided with the wall of the mountain and Jake put his hands on either side of her, shadowing her from the moonlight with his large cloaked body. His forehead touched hers and she was forced to stare the intimidating hybrid in his crystalline orbs.

She froze and felt her face heat up as he spoke, "We need to go – **now**." he said hoarsely and it made her shiver.

When she didn't respond, Jake snaked one hand around the back of her nape and up into her hair, his fingers ran slowly through her short blonde tresses. Sherry held her breath as he inclined his head enough to press his cheek against hers as he whispered into her ear – repeating what he said earlier but this time more forcefully.

Sherry gasped finally, silently noting that he felt so warm up close; he towered over her by an impressive amount and she felt safe with him there. The cold chill of the night disappeared with him cradling her this way. Her heart was racing and she feared that he could hear it.

Her hands came up to press against his chest where she could feel his heart… Slow and steady, it soothed her. _He has a heart… like a person, like a human being… like me. _"Ja –"

His other hand swiftly came to cover her mouth, muffling her voice. "Do **not** say my name. They do not need to know it – _capisce_?"

She nodded but when his hand slipped away, she spoke up, "But does Manuela already know –"

"Don't worry about her. She won't say a word. Trust me." he purred, stepping away from her to her own dismay.

"Did you… did you _intimidate_ her?" she asked. She recalled Manuela calling him scary and thought it was cruel of Jake to be that way to her. The indifferent shrugging of his shoulders caused her to let out a huff, "You shouldn't bully people… Especially not your own people."

He sent her a bone-chilling glare, "Dammit – I already told you and the rest of them that I am not like them." he bellowed darkly. "I'm like no one. They are not my kind, I am different from _everyone_."

Sherry touched his chest gently, offering some sympathy, "It is because you are a hybrid, isn't it?"

"Mind your business, _bambina_." he spat.

"Stop calling me a little girl." she demanded softly. "When you saved me ten years ago I was a little girl but now I am an adult, so I'd appreciate it if you would treat me that way."

"Oh but you can treat me like a damn tyrant when that's only _half_ of my entire being," he scoffed, "You're a hypocrite you know that? Bringing up shit from the past without actually thinking about it. If I was this _big bad tyrant guy_ like you think I am, would I have saved you ten years ago? _Merda_…!" he let out a huff of frustration and Sherry realized where she went wrong.

He didn't like being viewed as a tyrant.

_I'll cut him a break – he needs it._

"Ja –" she caught herself quickly with his eyes narrowed dangerously at her, "_Sir_ okay, you're right... and I apologize." she peered into his eyes and noticed he seemed particularly alleviated … maybe. "But um, do you mind telling me why we're rushing to leave?"

"I don't have to tell you anything." he retorted irritably, "The sooner we get back to Raccoon the better, now let's go."

"Okay but we still need supplies, sir. We shouldn't leave until we have everything we need and well…" She gently took his hand in hers and smiled sweetly, "I don't think you want to be too far away from me."

Jake stared at her, she couldn't read his reaction or sense his upcoming response so she simply waited while clutching his hand gently into hers. "You'd be wise not to talk to the Primitive ones." he said suddenly, "They're pretty old and thus, they're old-fashioned. They remember the old times but the past is irrelevant – all that matters is that this is the world we live in. No need bitchin' and whinin' over it."

She disagreed with him about speaking with them but kept her opinion to herself for now and nodded to him, "It's still nice to meet some kinder…" she trailed off, uncertain of how to address them.

"_Tyrants_. They're tyrants – we're all tyrants."

_So wait, he identifies himself as a tyrant but doesn't want me to call him that? I'm thoroughly confused… _"I thought you said you were different?" Sherry pressed gently, rubbing her thumb over the back of his palm.

"Sì, io sono."

She nodded, _I believe that means, Yes, I am... _"Okay… but if it helps – I don't think you're a 'big bad tyrant' at all. I think you're my hero."

"Tch, whatever."

Sherry assumed it was a good time to leave him alone with the topic. She didn't want to push him, otherwise he may grow distant again. It pained her to just drop the subject now as she really would love to learn why exactly he was so different than the other tyrants – as well as why he seemed to identify more with them than humans…

_Maybe one day, he'll explain more to me. _

Instead of pushing him any further into the topic, she turned and pulled him behind her, returning to the primitives.

"Forgive me but… we must go…"

Enrico sighed, "I understand – but please allow us to help you out of the village."

"And I'll get you some provisions." Manuela volunteered, rising to her feet.

"Thank you."

The radiant blonde couldn't help but wonder if she imagined it or not but… it felt like for a moment there…

Jake was squeezing her hand.

* * *

Within an hour the two were all set up in a new sand car and had all the necessities they could need. This dune buggy was different from their last one, it had seating for four and was solid red with a black frame. They had piled all their supplies on the back seat so that Jake could drive and Sherry would sit beside him in the passenger seat. Manuela had set them up with extra clothing, enough water for a few days as well as enough snacks to tie them over until they reached Raccoon.

At the base of the mountain, there was a road way that circled around the mountain to the other side where the shore was supposed to be. They'd have to take the road all the way until they arrived at the coastline. They were told that the shores should have plenty boats for their transportation across the sea.

Sherry gave Enrico and Manuela a hug and wished them luck. "Maybe one day I can learn things from you…" she lamented with a sigh.

"Do not fret, Miss Sherry," Enrico said with a smile, "You are traveling with a hybrid… I believe he has all the answers you may need. Besides, I know he will seek us out one day. He's not as uninterested as he pretends to be."

She decided to take his words into consideration and thanked him once again before retreating away from the primitives and sliding into the car beside Jake – buckling her seat belt. Once she settled, he offered her a bag of peanuts. "Your stomach growling is getting on my nerves." he said dryly.

Sherry blushed with embarrassment – she had no idea he could hear her stomach so well! She had eaten the food from earlier but somehow she still felt a bit famished and accepted the food, eager to ease the developing beast in her tummy. "Gee, thanks…" she replied in the same tone he gave her.

Jake started up the dune buggy and sped off while Sherry waved goodbye to the primitives one last time.

Enrico and Manuela watched them disappear on the road way with heavy hearts. "He is… Albert's son, isn't he?"

"Yes… and surely he will come to find him." Enrico bemoaned, he furrowed his brows and shut his eyes tightly to ease his growing regret. "That man can't escape him for long. Eventually, he will be caught – and then the world will be thrown into pandemonium once again…"

* * *

"I can see the shore!" Sherry pointed to the sparkling waters in the distance. Dawn was slowly emerging and she was elated to see the shore after driving all night. She used the binoculars she found while digging through the boxes out of boredom [it wasn't like Jake was up for conversation] and could see a wooden ship docked at the shore line. "There's a really big ship down there…"

"They look like they're loading cargo." Jake noted aloud.

"You can see them without the binoculars?"

"My vision's better than yours." he replied while focusing on the road.

Sherry smiled, "That's incredible." she said – he looked at her with an elevated brow but it was hidden behind his hood. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before returning to the road and she giggled at his skepticism.

Eventually he would see that she was not a crooked person – her admiration of him was genuine.

"Hmph…Whatever you say, Siren." was his response.

Sherry smiled, now knowing she would have to be patient with him. She recalled the response she got earlier from him; he allowed her to hold his hand and touch him as long as she wanted to without fighting her off. When she got aggressive, he fought back – but when she remained gentle and appealed for a response from him – he replied... she actually got an answer from him a few times.

Even better, he stopped calling her 'Bambina' and was settling on 'Siren' or '_Sirena_'.

_I need to be cooperative with him but also accepting of his differences just like the Primitives said…_

They arrived at the base of the mountain where trees surrounded the road on each side. Jake sped up the dune buggy as the thick sand came to be – with the ride they had, gliding over this terrain wasn't much of a dilemma.

When they finally emerged from the brush, Sherry leaned out of the car, waving her hand into the air at the sailors around the humongous ship. "Ahoy!" she greeted with a smile.

The strangers became aware of the vehicle approaching and eyed the two with caution. There were five persons on the sand – some appeared to be inspecting their ship, the others were loading miscellaneous items onto it, hoisting things up to individuals on the deck.

This ship was even bigger up close. Wooden structures – it was a full-rigged bark and seemed to be carrying a nice amount of people – but not a tyrant in sight…

Jake slowed the sand rail to a stop and gripped Sherry's arm tightly before she could bolt over to the group of strangers. "Be patient." he said, unbuckling his seat belt and stepping out before her.

* * *

He found it all suspicious… When they crossed the sea and made it here before, there were a lot of sailors in the area, all lined up and waiting for travelers. The beach was a ghost town now, there wasn't a soul to be seen except these new travelers and their big wooden ship...

… But that wasn't the big red flag. No, that honor was to be bestowed on the sword nearby, stuck inside the sand and other debris. It looked like a ship had been torn apart with the larger components lost a sea… Jake's nose curled from the stench of death around him. Something had gone wrong here…

He stepped in front of Sherry as someone approached them, Jake assumed he was the leader but then again, his uniform wasn't too special – he could be just another crew member. "Ah! You are a tyrant!" the stranger observed, staring at Jake with much fascination.

Jake frowned at him through the dark of his hood, "Cram it. We need to get back to Raccoon city – it's straight ahead on the sea if you keep that way." he pointed out into the sea, a spooky green fog blanketed the area… "We're riding with you guys so let's get a move on."

"Yes of course, sir." the strange man said with a bright smile. Jake noticed the man had a distinct twitch to his eye...

There was blood beneath his fingernails…

_He smells like… death. Heh… interesting… _Jake then observed the strange way the man was eyeing Sherry. While she smiled shyly to him from behind Jake, he was staring at her lower regions – in particular, her _thighs_… "_Vaffanculo,_ _stronzo_." Jake snarled, frightening the man enough that he retreated away instantly, falling back to his ship.

Sherry spoke up once he was out of hearing range, "Jake… whatever you just said, I'm positive it wasn't very nice…" She scolded lightly. "He's just being polite to us." she smiled a bit, "I think this will be a pleasant trip."

He stared at her. _You poor naïve girl… you have no idea what these people do… _Jake knew very well what they were and they were not tyrants... they were the sickest sort of mortal alive... "I told him to fuck off and called him an asshole for staring at your thighs." he deadpanned and made her send him an incredulous look.

The mysterious tyrant discovered that the first stranger wasn't the only one giving Sherry 'the look'. There were women doing the same along with the many other men. Jake didn't like it and Sherry was too naïve to realize what was going on here.

Now, he thought she looked good too with her perky tits bouncing around in that shirt and those shorts... He had been debating with himself about groping her quite a few more times since he got a nice handful of her luscious romp the other day. She was small, tender and supple - he fancied she'd be pretty interesting in bed.

But he would never give her the look these people were giving her…

"You should stick with me, Siren. Something's off about these humans."

"If you want me to stay with you I don't mind, but just promise me you won't be mean to them just because they're humans." The lovely blonde pleaded, touching his chest.

"Oh I won't – trust me." he purred, gently gripping her by her elbow. "Now come on, Siren – we've gotta take our stuff on board and I wanna make sure I keep my eye on you."

Sherry smiled to him and he scoffed at her geniality. She was such a loving person that he threw him off. Everything about her _threw him off_.

_Typical sea maid, always stringing guys along until they're putty in their hands… Heh, couldn't hurt to play the role for a while. But more importantly, I need to make sure she stays as far away from these creeps as possible._

* * *

A/N: Update: I had to make a quick change and correct some distinct typos. Sorry for the double posting...

Shout out to **aquacrow** for helping with the Italian translations! I couldn't have done it without you XD

QUICK NOTE: I got a few questions about whether Jake has fangs, yes he does. There's a catch to it and it will be revealed at a later chapter pretty soon.

Sorry for not much of Jake's POV this chapter but it will be in the next. I figure the chapters will switch between the two every other chapter so as you can see, Jake's POV is in Chap 3.

Okay just a **fair warning**, Jake is going to start being sexually suggestive to Sherry from this point on. It's a part of his character development because remember what Manuela said – their kind is very intimate [but WHY is the question ;D ] but you know our Sherry – she's not an easy one at all and will be giving Jake a run for his money. Plus we all know intimacy is more than just 'physical' but that's a part of this story to be worked on.

Also next chapter is one of the darker ones… I'm talking disturbing so get ready!

Thanks for all the reviews and please keep them coming! :)

See you guys/girls soon!

**Chap 2 Translations:**

Accidenti - Dammit

Bambina - Little girl

Sirena – Siren

No, non – No I don't

Capisce? – Understand?

Non mi rompere i coglioni - Don't break my balls / Don't fuck with me [More or less like saying "You're pissing me off" which is what I was going for with that line].

Brava ragazza - Good girl

Vecchio - Old man

Merda - Shit

Si, io sono - Yes, I am

Vaffanculo, stronzo - Fuck off, asshole


	3. Milk & Honey

Chapter Three:

**Milk & Honey**

_Even humans have a dark side…_

* * *

Jake sat idle in the farthest corner from the others, his eyes watching Sherry as she sat on a wood barrel and sang for the ship's crew and other guests that were joining them. Apparently they weren't the only travelers in the region but it should have been expected. With a ship as large as this one, it was typical the crew harbored travelers.

They were in the mess hall; the ship's cafeteria where the captain asked all guests to meet. It was a large room with lengthy metal tables for seating and rows of wine barrels in each corner.

The enigmatic red head observed Sherry; she was smiling happily as she shared her voice with everyone. Originally she was merely singing to an elder couple but when the ship's stewardess overheard her, she encouraged the young woman to sing for others to hear.

It was just past noon when the captain arrived and informed everyone that he was making a guest list for them to sign. This was so that he could keep tabs on them and ensure their utmost safety.

Jake was in no mood to be bothered with such unnecessary means; citing the fact that he and Sherry wouldn't be aboard long as a reason to not partake in the assembly but Sherry convinced him otherwise. Whether he liked it or not, he had to keep an eye on her and if she wanted to mingle and be friendly, he had no choice but to follow her.

He remained in the shadows to avoid too much contact with the mortals. At least from where he was, he could still keep an eye on his busy bodied client whilst also refraining from getting pissed off at cowardice humans and their judgmental perceptions.

Unlike their experience in the Desert towns or Mixcoatl, Jake couldn't smell another tyrant anywhere among the crew or guests. They were surrounded completely by humans – annoying for him but quite fine for Sherry. This implied that he didn't need to be as protective as he was prior but still, he had to do his job.

Jake's ears perked up at the peasant sound emitting from his beautiful companion; she'd hit high note and it drew him in instantly. He did enjoy the sound of her voice – it took a lot of energy for him to force himself to believe he didn't. In the end he gave up and decided to sit back and indulge in her melodies.

He just didn't like others doing the same.

Was he selfish? Maybe…

He recalled all the nights he'd heard her singing in the tower; he never would have imagined the singer was Sherry. Many nights he allowed her to lull him to sleep – she was pretty good with helping him nap if he was bored and the nights were experiencing a rare evening of quiet. Now that he could put a face to this songbird, it made him feel even more intrigued by her.

She was such a fascinating little siren.

Once she finished her ballad, Sherry remained seated but inclined her head to the claps and whistles offered by the bystanders. Jake assumed she was finally finished and that meant the people would leave her alone but instead – like usual, she attracted them further.

"Miss Sherry, thank you very much for your pleasant performance." praised the stewardess with a smile. She was a frail old woman with grey hair, tired eyes and a wide smile.

"Thank you… I'm glad you all enjoyed it." Sherry returned the gratitude with a simper of her own.

The captain blew a whistle from in front of the room, attracting everyone's attention. He gave a crooked smile, "Alright, I believe we have everyone accounted for and on the list now. I understand that you all have specific destinations to reach but as I'm sure you're aware – this is a cargo ship and we have some deliveries to make…"

Jake tilted his head as the captain turned to him and inclined his head almost nervously. The hybrid observed that the man was perhaps in his late forties with dull brown hair and a beard of the same color. He wasn't tall in the least and there was a distinct slouch to his shoulders.

"Mister Tyrant, forgive us but we will have to deliver you and your companion to Raccoon at a slightly later time." he explained with tense shoulders. "We are under strict command from a tyrant colony nearby to deliver by sunset…"

Jake noticed Sherry send him a look of desperation – almost like she was begging him to maintain his temper.

She didn't have to ask that of him.

During the day, Jake was actually at his most _serene_. Being short-patient and snarky was part of his general personality but his darker more sinister side only shown during the night.

He was a half-breed after all.

"Whatever," he spoke gruffly, noticing the alarmed awareness the guests had upon discovery of him. "Just don't bother me."

The captain nodded with a relieved smile, "_Dziękuję_…" Jake recognized the language as Polish words of gratitude.

In his many years of playing a shadow, he'd encountered many different languages and was able to speak over ten. Italian, however, was his native tongue.

"Now, if you all are ready – my stewardess here will take you all to your dorms where you may settle and prepare for lunch very soon."

The stewardess gestured for everyone to follow her out of the cafeteria and Jake watched Sherry make her way over to him and the bags containing their provisions. Jake started gathering their supplies when he caught sight of his client stopping in her tracks.

Jake narrowed his eyes at the captain as he approached her and then presented his hand to her; the hybrid could hear him begin a series of compliments about her voice and then ask her if she would personally sing for him in his office.

"_Ehi_!" he interjected, approaching the captain and Sherry with a deep frown concealed in his hood.

"M-My apologies, Mister T-Tyrant…" the captain stuttered, flinching away. Jake kept his cold glare on the man until he backed away and quickly moved to exit the cafeteria opposite the stewardess.

"Jake, that wasn't very nice…" Sherry frowned at him, placing her hands on her hips.

"Don't get too friendly with these people, _Siren_." he told her sharply, "They ain't as nice as they pretend to be."

That didn't seem to deter her, "Jake, there's nothing wrong with these people. They're just travelers like we are and the crew is being charitable and nothing but kind to us."

Jake watched her pry one of the bags from him to then loop arms with him. She was a daring, brave woman – that much was clear. It amused him, very much so. "Come on, Jake… let's go get settled." she smiled and gently ushered him forward alongside her.

"Even humans have a dark side, Siren…" he told her gravelly.

There may not be any immortals on the ship, but he sensed another sort of danger in the midst. One that he'd picked up on before they even boarded.

Death.

The entire ship smelled like death.

* * *

The ship was tremendous inside and had everything they could need. When they were taken to their room, Jake wanted to assume they were going to be living things up – just relaxing until they arrived back to Raccoon city. If it weren't for his nagging feelings of something eerie in the mist, he probably would be elated at the prospect.

Their room was like the rest of the ship; everything was made of wood – from the walls to the floors and it was tastefully tidy. There was a bunk bed along the wall with clean white sheets on the beds. A window was at the foot of the bed with curtains that matched the sheets; as the wind breezed inside, it carried the scent of the sea with it. A chair was against the wall across from the bunks and on the travelers immediate left [upon entry to the room] was a door leading to the restroom.

"Please settle well my friends," said the chief steward from outside the door. "Breakfast time has passed but lunch should be ready quite soon and you are free to join us."

"Alright, alright – _get out_." Jake said, pushing the door shut on her without hesitance.

"Jake, how could you?" Sherry asked with big eyes.

He ignored her and went to shut the curtains. What little radiance the sun outside offered was aggravating him and it preferred it disappear if possible. Whirling around, he breezed past Sherry and locked the door to the room and was glad she didn't ask why. He placed their bags in the corner by the window and removed his cloak to toss it on the bottom bunk.

The bottom was wider than the top bunk and since he was the bigger person he needed the spot more than she did…

Still, he kind of wanted the top bunk…

"Sleep." he told her, glancing over his shoulder at her. She looked to consider protesting his command so he reclaimed his cloak before scooping her into his arms and placing her on the bottom bunk.

She tried to object but he ignored her once again, climbing up top and getting comfortable. "What if you weigh too much and make the bed fall on top of me?" he heard her ask anxiously.

"Well I see two outcomes," he started counting them off his fingers, "The first is that you get crushed in the event of such a freak accident and the other is that you actually are able to see said event coming and roll out of the way just in time." Jake mused, folding his arms behind his head on the pillow and closing his eyes. "Then again, there's the possibility that neither will happen and you'll be perfectly fine because the bed will hold my weight."

"Or… you will hop down here to my rescue before anything like that can happen." she responded with a faint giggle.

"Is that so?" Jake drawled dryly.

"_Si_."

The hybrid huffed, amused by her kittenish banter. "Sleep, Siren – I won't say it again." He heard her shuffling below and then her shoes touched the floor, "You heard what I said."

"Okay, okay – I'm just removing my boots."

"_Sleep_." he repeated.

He listened quietly as she sighed and heard her stretch out on the bottom. He smirked to himself – once again, he had won the 'battle'. He liked that she was cooperative and didn't annoy the hell outta him. He liked that she wasn't turning this mission into one from hell. He liked that she was so pleasant and didn't talk too much.

Simply put, he liked a lot of things about her so far.

But he would never say it.

* * *

Jake awoke some time later to a dimly lit room. He'd trained himself to awaken at dusk every day, but being on this ship prevented him from being sure of the actual time. The distinct sound of rain outside alerted the hybrid's sensitive ears and he could smell it too. He slid from the top bunk quietly to the floor.

He went to the window and peered out at the sea to confirm the gentle storm outside. The ship swayed on the unsteady waves and the wind blew violently against the window, essentially tossing rain water inside.

Jake lowered the window some to lessen the effects and went for his cloak to slip it on. He glanced at Sherry to find her sleeping soundly on her side with her back to him. He could smell food from somewhere and he was quite hungry; he figured he would go get food for the both of them to avoid Sherry being social again.

Just as he went for the door, he heard her call out for him and turned to her as she sat up.

Her hair was messy and all over her head, her eyes appeared heavy as she yawned cutely and covered her mouth – the blanket around her body was tangled and loosely cascaded down to her waist.

She looked incredibly sensual.

Jake was attracted to the ample view of her cleavage that shirt Manuela gave her presented. One simple breeze or shift of that damned blouse and he could see her tit... He silently pleaded that it would disappear and just give him a full view of her naked torso – tits and all…

"Jake…" she mumbled tiredly, peering at him in the dark. "Where you going?"

"I'll be right back," he said lowly, his icy hues never left her bosom. _Pull away... Stop staring so hard. _He tried to tell himself and yet his eyes remained focused.

"Oh…" she faced her lap and then her gaze danced around in the dark, completely unaware of his gaze. "You won't be gone long, will you?"

Jake smirked, his sharp fangs glistening in the dark as he finally averted his eyes. "What's the matter, _dolcezza_…? You gonna be lonely in here without me…?" he purred huskily.

Her eyes widened and he saw a deep blush come to her pale cheeks, "A-Ah, what are you talking about?"

He was satisfied for now; he fancied he would trifle more with her later. "Stay here, Siren. I'll be right back."

"Oh… Okay." before he could exit she spoke once more, "I'm hungry…" she mumbled.

"There's four more bags of peanuts in the bags over there." He pointed to the bags in the corner. "Eat that until I come back – I need to check on something."

She nodded and he watched her start for their things.

He engaged the lock on the knob and shut the door behind him. He fiddled with the knob before leaving – to make sure she was safe inside it. After that, he walked off down the hallway to make his way towards the kitchen.

* * *

Jake wandered through the stuffy corridors of the ship – adamant about finding the mess deck. He noticed that the ship seemed drastically empty, not a soul was in sight for quite some time but Jake listened carefully and realized the crew was in the auditorium but he could hear a multitude of voices coming from other rooms. It was closing in on dinner time and yet no one was...

His thoughts came to a pause as he neared his destination and a peculiar odor smacked him in the face.

It smelled awful, he recognized it immediately as the stench of rotting corpses.

...That foul stench of death flowed from kitchen…

Jake hesitated but kept forward with a morbid idea in the back of his mind.

Before he could even enter the kitchen he felt crippled by the stench. It became more than his sensitive olfactory senses could handle. He knew he couldn't stomach whatever they were cooking and whirled around to return where he came from.

He couldn't return to the room without something for Sherry to eat. An idea clicked for him and he quickly sprinted for ship's deck.

Whatever they were cooking, it smelled like sin.

* * *

Jake started back to the room soaked from head to toe by rain and sea water. In his hand was a sack full of freshly killed fish that he caught. It was simple for him to do – a single drop of his blood into the water was enough to paralyze all sea life within a 15 mile radius. He then leaped into the water, caught every fish he could and then climbed back on board.

A very simple task for a hybrid like him.

His wet boots trailed along the wooden floors leaving a path of wet prints in his wake as he closed in on the room.

Before he could reach it however, a strange sound caught his ears...

It sounded like a plea for help.

The half-tyrant paused and squinted his eyes as he listened closely. The voice was that of an elder man, in addition to that he could register some cries from people – perhaps a total of five different vocals. All sounded to be in agony…

If Jake believed in the supernatural – he might have assumed the culprit was an unknown departed specter… But these voices weren't paranormal, he could hear them coming from the lower levels of the ship. The sound (and smell) of something burning also reached him…

Then, as quickly as the voices were heard – they were silenced. He stood there for quite some time just listening, waiting to see if he would hear it again but alas, nothing more was heard.

_Not my business… _Jake decided with a shrug and started forward again but stopped abruptly when something caught his eyes.

The ship's captain was hovering in front of the room he shared with Sherry…

"Hey!" he shouted, picking up speed and alerting the man of his presence. When he stood before him, the man visibly cowered and shook violently with terror. "What the _fuck_ are you doin'?"

"A-Ah for-forgive me, s-sir!" he stuttered weakly, "I was merely coming to inform you that y-you've missed t-two meals now…"

Jake narrowed his icy orbs dangerously so, "_Stronzate_! You don't need to hover in front of a fucking door to do that!"

"Okay, okay!" the captain waved his hands in front of himself, "I… overheard the crew speaking of the beautiful girl who arrived with the t-tyrant again and I… I-I wanted to see her again… please understand I've been married for years and I have no ill intent but…" he was crestfallen and lowered his head, "Forgive me, if she is your woman I really meant no harm – but the crew keeps talking about her and it makes me…"

Jake grit his fangs at the man while he kept his head bowed, "… I'm rambling fair tyrant but – I hope you will forgive me. They've been talking about her skin and -"

"Why the hell are they talking about her skin?" Jake cut in sharply.

The captain shrugged, "I don't know - I didn't see anything in particular about her skin earlier but... then again my crew isn't normal." he lowered his head again and Jake pondered what the man meant by that. "Forgive me, sir. I will be going now."

"Wait." the captain stops and looks over his shoulder at the tyrant. "Where the hell are we?" During his outside hustle he couldn't smell anything for miles - no sand, people or land was detectable.

"We were unable to venture further in Raccoon city's direction due to a storm around the region." he explained calmly, "We decided it would be wiser to deliver our supplies for another region first and then we will return. Surely by then the weather shall be clear."

Jake growled, ready to punch something – or someone. Thanks to the damn weather, he and the siren were forced to wait even longer before they reached home. He didn't like this one bit. The longer he was out here… the longer he was exposed and at risk of being discovered.

_Dammit! _He grits his sharp teeth once more, put the hand not carrying the sack of fish on his hip and dropped his head, "How long until this damn delivery is done?"

"Hopefully a day is all we need..." he cleared his throat and Jake observed him fidget. "Please forgive me, sir. I never meant to upset you with the Misses..."

Jake almost rolled his eyes, "Tch, whatever – just don't do it again."

"Of course." the captain lifts his head and offers a smile. Jake imagines he misses his wife at home and just wants to see a woman.

Too bad. Sherry's not going to be some guy's wet dream on his watch. _Besides, I'm damn sure you're not her type, vecchio._

"I only ask that you keep a sharp eye on her." he said suddenly.

Jake tilted his head with interest, "Why's that, _vecchio_?"

"My crew isn't normal..."

That was the same thing he said earlier and Jake thought that maybe he was implying something very vital. The hybrid thought more of his words about the crew speaking of his companions skin and that thoroughly bothered him. Why would guys and women sit around and talk about a woman's skin of all things?

The ship suddenly felt much too hot for Jake's taste.

While Jake was lost in his thoughts, the captain started away from him but not before uttering: "The food isn't normal either..."

* * *

Sherry was just coming out of the bathroom when he knocked on the door. She opened it and he stalked inside, tossing the heavy sack of fish onto the floor.

He inhaled her rosy fragrance and looked at her; she was wearing another sundress. Stopping at her mid-thighs, the dress was simple although he noticed it matched the blue of her eyes and exposed her long, shapely legs. It was sleeveless with a brown trimmed V-neck exposing her cleavage albeit modestly so and attracting attention to the pretty locket around her neck.

Jake made a noise in his throat as he studied her, instinctively inhaling that rosy fragrance of hers.

"Hey…" she greeted him softly, rubbing her hands together and breezing past him over to her boots beside the bed. He noticed just how short she was without them – she was easily 5"6, slightly above average height but she still seemed small in comparison to him – an impressive 6"3. "You're soaked… is everything okay?"

"Mind your business." he replied removing his cloak and tossing it over the open door of the bathroom. At that angle the wind could reach it and he hoped it would dry soon.

"What's in the bag?" she asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and slipping on her boots, tying one at a time.

"Fish." he replied shortly, his eyes surveying the length of her creamy legs.

"What did you not like the food in the kitchen or something? Did they run out?" she asked as she finished and rose to her feet again, straightening out her dress.

Jake noticed how tightly that cotton dress clung to her slender curves; the bottom of it moved freely, stirring as she moved but never stopped it's fit against her hips and flat stomach. The dress gave him so much detail of her body where it fit and he found it alluring.

He leans against the door and folds his arms, his eyes never left her. "We're not eating anything from that kitchen."

He watched her furrow her brows in confusion, "Why not?"

"It's not wise to eat anything these people offer." he figured he'd leave it at that. Pushing off the door, he went to the bags in the corner, deciding he would shower and change too – he smelled sea water coming from him and his clothes.

He snapped his head in her direction, catching her eyes zoomed in on him. "Don't leave the room. Stay put – _capisce_?" he nodded to her to assert his words.

"Okay…" she breathed and he observed the dazed look to her big eyes but thought nothing of it for the moment and turned to the bathroom to shower.

He caught another glance of her milky legs and cursed; hoping the water for the shower was cold.

* * *

Sherry sat down on the bed and quietly listened to the sound of the shower after he closed the door. Once again she had seen his face and she felt her cheeks heat up considering this was the first time she'd seen him without the whole cloak on.

Without his cloak, she realized just how muscular he was. He was so tall yet his muscles were appropriately lean yet vivid, toned, and taut. His wet clothes were kind enough to cling to every cut in his well-toned physic.

He was a dream…

She could still make out his incredible abs and biceps. The mellow performer wasn't ashamed to fantasize about tracing each cut in his frame with her fingers.

Snapping out of her daydreams, her watery orbs traveled to the bag of fish in the corner. She silently wondered what exactly was so offensive about the kitchen's meal prep. From where she was, it smelled just fine – maybe he just didn't eat human food?

She let out a huff and flopped back on the bed, staring at the underneath of the top bunk. At least she'd get to spend some more time with him and maybe learn a few things. That much she could look forward to.

* * *

Jake returned ten minutes later, freshly dressed and comfortably dry. The water had been cold like he hoped and it seemed that it had no hot water at all in there. He wrote it off as being typical for human ships; the tyrants were the ones that had luxury yachts and cruises. He came out the bathroom with his boots in hand but sat them beneath the window so the air could reach them. He was wearing a long sleeved black shirt and blue jeans, the shirt was rolled up to his elbows since he felt so much heat in the room.

He felt eyes on him and directed his attention to the beautiful blonde on the bed nearby. Her hands were neatly folded in her lap, feet together and her eyes watched him with wide fascination. She was like a little Sunday school girl…

…waiting for something to corrupt her.

"What time is it?" she asked finally after they'd stared at each other for over a minute.

"After dusk." he replied, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Are we… headed back to Raccoon yet?"

Jake shook his head, "Nope – a storm is making shit difficult so we gotta wait it out." he turned his attention to the bag of fish and crouched down beside it to count it once again – he'd caught 20, enough for two days.

He shuffled around the bag of fish, going over his plan of what to do with them. Once the crew was asleep, he was going to raid the kitchen and cook it for the two of them – that way they didn't have to keep living off of the little things the Primitives gave them and definitely to prevent her from eating that sin the crew members called food.

Whatever they were cooking, it smelled awful… and as the captain said:_ the food isn't normal_.

The sound of Sherry sliding from the bed ceased his thoughts. He watched her crouch down beside him to observe his catch, "You sure caught a lot of them. Is there anything you can't do?" she asked with a bashful smile.

Jake glanced at her and then back to the fish, "There really _isn't_." he replied nonchalantly but inside, his ego was heightened. He impressed her apparently – that made him feel giddy inside.

He didn't like feeling giddy.

His entire body stiffened when she placed both her palms on his shoulders and inclined her head so that she could look him in the face. "Jake, you should be careful out there… you could catch a cold."

He turned to meet her eyes – big and blue like water. Her eyes never changed from when she was little... It was hard for him to see her as an adult. He couldn't rid himself of that memory of her – a small girl cowering from rabid tyrants was now this… woman with a voice like a siren.

With a delightful rose-like aroma… and full lips…

_And supple curves_.

_Che cazzo! _Jake quickly shrugged her off him. She fell backward onto her backside and bit her lip when he shot her a hard glare, "_Basta_ – I don't need you babying me!"

Sherry appeared disheartened by his outburst but said nothing. Jake watched from the corner of his eye as she slowly climbed back onto the bed and laid there with her back to him.

Once again, it bothered him to see her like that. He seemed to be really good at hurting her feelings lately and he didn't feel good about it. _Damn human feelings… _"I'm… waiting for the crew to sleep so I can cook this fish." he told her slowly; it felt like his insides were eating him as he did. "You… should come with me."

She was silent for a short period and Jake made a silent plea that she wasn't crying. He didn't know how to deal with a woman crying… "Would you… like me to cook for you?" she spoke finally without turning to him – her voice was weak and quite shaky.

He sighed and dropped his head, "Whatever…"

* * *

Jake walked to the kitchen with Sherry close behind him. He'd abandoned his cloak since it was still wet – furthermore, it was so late that he figured none of the crew would be awake. He'd heard nothing when they finally set out – his ears weren't able to register a soul awake at this hour.

They entered the small kitchen area and Jake shut the doors behind them, locking them inside so no intruders could come bother them. The galley wasn't very big; the cabinets, oven, sink and refrigerator were in the same vicinity and a single countertop island was in the center floor. Further in the room was a stove with many burners and a table nearby with clean pans stacked atop it.

Like the rest of the ship, everything was wood except the fridge, stove and oven.

Jake leaned his back against a counter as Sherry fumbled around with the cabinets before going to grab a pan to cook with. The hybrid was silent until he heard a sound of surprise from his petite companion. "My gosh…" she breathed, "What is this…?"

His eyes traveled to where she pointed her finger – she was referring to the stove.

Now _this_ was definitely amusing for Jake, "You never seen a stove before?"

"You know in Raccoon we only use ovens." she explained with a pout, "Please don't tease me… I haven't traveled much so I don't know about a lot of things the world has to offer."

He huffed, approaching her with his arms crossed over his chest. "The oven's right there…" he gestured to the other cooking device nearby.

A wide oven with two levels inside for trays to bake on – this was a version that Jake was quite familiar with though only because of his many years of travels. Sherry on the other hand, he'd come to realize just how sheltered she was by her father – no doubt in an attempt to protect her.

In Jake's opinion, it only made her more vulnerable to malevolence.

"You know how to work it or not?" he asked irritably, his hunger was getting the best of him.

"I'll do what I must." she replied.

Jake handed her the bag of fish and watched lethargically as she laid 10 out onto the countertop, skinned them and removed the bones along with other means of preparation. He busied himself by listening out for others. Not that the crew could do anything to them but he really didn't want to be bothered nor did he want them to see his face. There was no telling who any of these people knew and he dreaded to think these guys worked for **him**.

Thinking of that man made his blood boil… he never wanted to see **him** again – not after what he did to _her_…

He opened his eyes to observe Sherry placing the fish inside the oven on a silver tray. She closed it, removed her oven mitts and sighed as she wiped the small droplets of perspiration from her forehead to eventually smile tiredly at him. "Well, I guess now all we do is wait, huh?"

"Pretty much." Jake deadpanned lazily.

Silence enveloped the two as they waited for their food. Jake noticed Sherry stared quite often at his face and grew annoyed with it, "Is there a problem?"

Sherry was visibly taken aback, "What? N-No, I was simply just… looking." she lowered her head bashfully.

"Ah, so you're dazzled by my handsome face then?" he smirked.

She lifts her head and the blush never leaves her as she chuckles at him, "Hardly – I'm merely curious as to why you always wear that cloak of yours."

Jake picked up on her implication quickly, "I'm not keeping it off, Siren. I have my motives."

"Can I ask why?"

"Sure."

She appeared elated at that, "Why can't you keep it off?"

"Mind your business."

Jake nearly burst into a fit of laughter at her distinct pout, "That wasn't what I was expecting to hear."

"You'll never learn why so don't worry about it. After I get you home this will be the end of it and there's no point in you knowing anything about me, _piccolina_." he said casually though he put much emphasis on what he called her.

He wasn't sure why he did that but he rather liked referring to her with any name he pleased, knowing she had no clue what he was saying to her. He could very well imply how he'd like to bend her over and do dirty things to her and she would be forever unaware of it.

_Why am I flirting with her? This is that little girl… she's still that little girl… _His mind was reeling and yet it felt good to see her blush and struggle to make a comeback. _But she's an adult now – there shouldn't be any reason for me to keep thinking of her as a child. That means there's no harm in flirting with her… right?_

"Did you… did you just call me 'pretty'?" she asked with a grin.

Jake's blood ran cold. _Che cazzo?! How does she know that I – ? _He retained his mask of indifference despite being confounded by her. "Tch, does that bother you?"

She laced her fingers in front of her and averted her shy gaze, "Ah… no, not really – it's just it's the last thing I expected to be called by you."

Jake hummed with amusement, "How do you know that I called you that?"

"I used to study some basic Italian in my free time… Ever since you called me 'Bambina' as a girl, I was curious what it meant and I… I looked it up for reference." she replied softly.

"Hmph… you're diligent ain't cha, _caro_?" _Just like your dad. _He didn't add that last part because he could see a great difference between her father and herself.

She was a woman – he was a man. In Jake's world, Sherry was the more interesting specimen because her father was well… a man. As for sweet, sweet Sherry – he could very well mate with her if he wanted to.

Unlike most sharing the tyrant blood, Jake wasn't a lecher. He was able to quell his sexual impulses for over 100 years. Sure, he flirted from time to time and enjoyed getting his share of private performances from dancing girls but that was as far as he went.

_She _had expected better of him – and even though she was long gone, her pleas lived on inside him. All these years, his desires had been repressed because of his foolish belief that somehow she was right and he could do better – he could _be_ better.

As his eyes traveled up the radiant blonde's slender yet curvy and supple form, he felt different. She definitely wasn't a child anymore – not with those shapely thighs, milky skin and generously ample bosom. He observed her full pink lips, her long dark lashes and that short vibrant hair like golden honey.

She giggled suddenly, "Okay, now I _know_ you just called me _sweetheart_." She was correct in her translation.

The beauty before him was sweet, subtle and pretty.

_She's like milk and honey. _Jake closed his eyes as he imagined how she felt and it filled him with wanton and wonder. Those dark desires he buried away were threatening to emerge…

_Damn… I guess the little Siren really has seduced me._

Jake liked her.

He liked her enough to play with her.

He wondered if she would play back.

Just as he debated reaching over and caressing the naked skin of her thighs – the oven chimed, signaling the fish was finished.

"All done!" she cheered with a slight whisper. "Now let's head back to the room so we can eat."

* * *

Their journey back to Raccoon was taking far longer than it was supposed to. Excuses piled in for reasoning behind the delay was beginning to seem suspicious for Jake. Every day there was a new explanation for the setback and each excuse was more pathetic than the last.

Upon the third day, he grew curious and led a solitary expedition of the massive ship. It was during the day time so he left Sherry alone to do whatever she pleased as long as she didn't leave the room.

He wound up at the engine room. It was where the stench of death seemed to be coming from but it was so strong he couldn't bear to enter.

That was the first day he felt the most uneasy he had in a long time.

It was also the first day that people started expressing that their loved ones had gone missing…

* * *

Eating nothing but fish for a whole three days was beginning to piss Jake off. Not that Sherry's cooking was bad [he actually found it delightful] but he was tired of it. The hybrid was ready to get back to Raccoon and save his nose before it fell off from the overwhelmingly bad odor aboard the ship.

He told himself over and over that he would not kill these idiotic humans but he was surely losing patience.

Plus, the sudden disappearance of over seven people over the last three days was very suspicious…

Jake was keeping a sharp eye on Sherry; she was never allowed to leave his sight.

Over the last few days, he was starting to dread being stuck with her all day. She was really starting to affect him. He found himself inhaling her fragrance to escape that deathly odor and it had gotten to the point he _needed_ to smell her or he felt irritable. Even worse, his interest in her was escalating to the point he had to force himself to remain distant and avoid conversation with her.

The silence between them seemed to do nothing but depress her. Her cheery demeanor was becoming more doleful; she sighed a lot and read books that the stewardess would bring whenever she came to change the bed sheets. Jake was starting to feel remorse for locking her away... It was strange but he missed her giggling, singing and smiling to people she met. She was following his instruction, being cooperative yet she was suffering as a result.

As much as it killed him to admit, Jake felt bad. _Maybe I could talk to her... dammit this is gonna be a drag..._

He glanced at the lovely blonde as she dug through the bags looking for something he had no clue of. He figured she was just trying to keep busy since he wouldn't allow her to leave. "You bored?" he asked dryly.

She turned back to him, "Kind of…" she replied honestly. "I don't suppose I could talk to you for a while and keep myself entertained."

Jake huffed, "Depends on the conversation, Siren."

Sherry smiled and came over to his side quickly to sit next to him. He had his back against the wall, right leg stretched out and the left bent at the knee with his boot flat on the floor. She, on the other hand, was sitting on her side leaning more towards him. "So um… any new news about when we'll be returning home?"

"Nope, the captain and his piece of shit crew are bullshitin' us."

A sigh escaped her as she faced her lap, "You may find me foolish for this but um… I'm really not in much of a rush to get back home."

Jake glanced at her before returning his gaze to the ceiling, letting her continue. "I've always been locked away in the tower because father wants to keep me safe. I could only go within the tower limits to do anything but if I wandered off too far, I was retrieved time and time again by the guards. The one time I did escape, I wound up in trouble with the tyrants." she giggled a bit, "That was the time you saved me…"

"Ah…" he nodded, closing his eyes.

"Jake, may I ask where you're from?" she asked suddenly.

Jake reopened his eyes, raised a brow and replied to her hoarsely, "…Sure you can..."

She smiled, "Okay… where are you from?"

"Mind your business, Siren."

He internally chuckled when he saw her pout and look down at her lap again, "Should've saw that coming." she mumbled.

"Indeed."

She sighed loudly, "Everyone's always calling me this hopeless dreamer with no real concept of reality… but I feel like I'm misunderstood." she began to play with the locket around her neck. "All I've ever done is sit in the tower and read books… eventually I started writing stories based on the tales my father would tell me of brave humans and tyrants working together…"

"The tyrants that came after ya had to really flip you on ya ass, huh?" Jake cut in with a smirk.

Sherry shrugged, "I guess… I mean, he did warn me that some weren't nice but I learned the same about humans over time from the books I read on historic battles."

"Sounds borin'."

"Not when you're trapped in a tower all day with nothing to do but imagine an outside world." she answered and Jake watched as her eyes found the ceiling and a smile crept onto her pretty face, "After that day when you rescued me, I went from writing stories to making poems and eventually… I started to sing my poems and they became songs. I felt so free when I sang – like I was far away from the tower and in a world of my own…"

Jake shifted uncomfortably, clearing his throat. "I uh… heard you singing quite often."

Sherry blushed, looking at him with a glint to her eyes. "Ah… sorry, I probably bothered you huh?"

"Nope." it came out of his mouth faster than he could catch himself.

A momentary silence came until she smiled at him…

It was the sweetest and by far most beautiful sight he'd ever seen.

He wanted to see it again.

She placed her hand on his, the one he had resting on his knee. "Jake, forgive me for not wanting to go home just yet… as you can see – home for me is just a reminder that I'm stuck again. I want to be like others who have seen so much and have stories to tell… all I have to share is my dreams and my voice. I want to share these things with others so they can share with me too."

"Whenever I sang; I imagined I was far away from the world I was used to and able to see sights I never had a chance to. I never would have believed my singing would have saved me from being trapped. I never would have believed that the one thing I used as a means of escaping reality would actually be my ticket out of Raccoon… My ticket to the outside world..."

"The outside world isn't all it's cracked out to be, Siren."

"Yes, I suppose not but… compared to the grey stone fixtures of Raccoon that I'd been trapped in day after day. The outside world is a land of milk and honey…" that pretty blush never left her cheeks. "And as long as I'm with you – I know I'm safe."

Jake was perplexed. "...Why?"

She smiled, "Because I trust you, Jake. You're my hero."

_You're too sweet, Siren... just like milk and honey. _Jake stared into her watery orbs and slowly smirked before scooting closer to her and taking the hand she'd covered with her own to lie firmly upon her creamy thigh – his thumb rubbed slow circles on her skin as he watched her entire face heat up. "You're not half bad,_ piccolina_." he leaned closer as he purred that to her.

To his delight, she covered his hand once again and her head tilted to the side. "Thank you, _signore_."

* * *

Later that night, the wind whistled as it entered the room, whisking around the curtains violently and carrying with it the emerging storm on the horizon and the luminescent moonlight to lighten the dark room.

Jake was on the top bunk, silently appreciating the calm and silence the night seemed to bring on this day. Unlike many of his other nights on the lam, he was able to truly find some peace and quiet. Not a tyrant's roar to be heard or a scream of agony…

Perhaps he spoke too soon.

He'd heard it quite often during the time they spent on the ship; agonized screams and cries begging for mercy.

Once again, he could hear the crew members conversing in the kitchen but this time you could hear a pin drop from the other rooms. Jake pondered that perhaps many of the other guests had been dropped off at their destinations since they had docked twice now. However, something nagged at him that this wasn't the case.

He recalled the conversation he overheard when he went to catch more fish before sunrise. Apparently that older couple Sherry was singing to on their first day had gone missing as some reported and oddly enough – he knew he recognized some of the screams he heard overnight.

But he heard those familiar wails the night before…

Jake had long since learned to stick to his own business so he hadn't planned on asking questions… though he did have a few scenarios playing out in his mind.

He wondered if the people on this ship were bounty hunters but rejected the thought when they showed him fear. Their fear meant they weren't sent to get him by **that man**'s instruction.

He briefly considered they could be under employment by a tyrant to kill off human travelers. This was actually his main theory – a tyrant was hiring them to kill travelers and perhaps keep mementos of the remains to take back to their leader; thus explaining the awful odor of death on the ship. It wouldn't be the first time Jake encountered a stuck-up tyrant who believed humans weren't worth anything but entertainment.

The other option was that these people were simply crazy.

Either way, Jake had no intent of interfering – as long as they didn't bother Sherry.

But there was one more possibility… one that even Jake himself dreading to consider but the more time he and the siren spent on the ship, the more it started to seem plausible.

This ship was inhabited by man-eaters…

Human cannibals…

That smell coming from the kitchen didn't share similarities with anything else he'd encountered. Then there was the intense heat from the vents; Jake wondered was that the crew members burning corpses. And lastly, the way the crew looked at Sherry always bothered him. They gazed at her thighs… not just the men but the women did too; licking their lips and sniffing at her like animals.

He recollected the conversation he had with the captain before and how he seemed to discreetly imply concern for Sherry, appearing to find the crews talk about her skin to be abnormal. Jake had to agree with him. As a half breed tyrant, he and others of his kind always had an feral aspect to them. It was normal for them to admire humans for their skin, their smell and other physical aspects because of their desire for closeness.

When you're an intimate race of people, you enjoy everything about a person's body. Simply put, it wasn't strange for _him_ to admire her milky skin but for these mortals to admire her this way and sniff at her... it was almost like a pack of wolves stalking a deer to eat.

Jake sighed quietly, now that he put all the pieces of the puzzle together – there was no denying it.

These guys were eating people.

Was he worried? No. Jake Muller had nothing to worry about as long as Sherry was safe.

The sudden sound of keys outside the door alerted Jake's ears. He shifts his eyes to the door as the lock on it clicked and it slowly creaks open…

From his position on the top bunk, he can see it is the stewardess. She stares long and hard at Sherry's sleeping form on the bottom bunk and Jake remains still to fool her he's asleep.

After what seems like an hour, Jake watches her open the door further and slowly start towards Sherry.

He sits up and stops her dead in her tracks.

She looks like an evil witch demon in the night with her pale skin, sunken eyes and grey hair. He thinks she looks like those monsters people speak of in mythology throughout worldwide cultures when her head snaps up in his direction, her eyes wide with terror of him.

Jake bares his fangs at her in the dark; his crystalline orbs bore into her. He was daring her to try anything; begging for a reason to rip her ugly head from her body.

She says nothing. She slowly backs away, her dark eyes never leaving his as she anticipates his sudden strike.

As she fades away into the dark corridor – inching the door shut behind her, Jake watches her every move. He waits until he hears the click of the door and her footsteps scurrying away from the door, disappearing down the hall as quickly as her frail body could carry her.

He jumps down from the top bunk a moment later and glances at Sherry. She's still sleeping soundly – completely unaware of the malicious intruder who once was.

Jake realized he couldn't just sit back and let that old witch get away with it. She could try coming after Sherry again.

The hybrid finally came to the conclusion that despite how capable he was, staying on the ship wasn't safe. It was time to move on before these sick bastards further entertained the idea of taking Sherry from him. Without her, he couldn't get paid and that was a big no-no for him.

But was money his real motive now? His hand hovered over Sherry's sleeping form and he hesitated – suddenly feeling concerned for her psychological safety…

_This will fuck up even the toughest piece of shit in the world. _His palm rests on her hip and this causes her to stir.

He thought better than to inform her of any impending danger – she might start freaking out and he didn't want that. He'd played escort many times and whenever danger happened his clients always went basket case on him.

However, this… _woman_ was different. She remained calm while the tyrants raided the Desert town and even helped him out when that bastard tyrant cheated during their fight. Okay, so she wasn't the panicky type but she was quite willful – and strange.

Just like her father.

William – for all the years he'd known him had been a very mild-mannered man with a light-hearted nature and a thirst for knowledge. This siren-like blonde in his company was similar to that. William had kept him hidden and protected him from exposure - risking everything just to help him out.

_She_ always told him to appreciate the ones who appreciated him; no act of kindness should go unrewarded.

_Your dad's always come through for me… _She sits up and looks at him with tired eyes. _I guess it's common courtesy to do the same for him._

"Jake, what's wrong…?" she whispers with hoarseness to her voice._ But I don't mind doing this to protect you too, Siren..._

_You trust me... the only other person who ever has trusted me before you was your dad... and 'her'._

"We're leaving." _You're safe with me, caro... _

* * *

Their boots clattered along the wood as they walked speedily to the captain's quarters. The halls were dimly lit and they roamed in the cloak of darkness; their target was on the third floor and they were just beneath it.

Sherry was close behind Jake as he pulled her behind him. She had no idea why Jake was so anxious to leave suddenly but she didn't mind. She was growing sick of sitting in the same room day in and out – it was a flashback of her days in Raccoon.

As they ascended the staircase to the third floor, they found the captain's room and Sherry remained silent as Jake knocked on the door a few times.

Shuffling and more clattering could be heard from the inside.

Jake's eyes met Sherry's for a brief moment before he kicked the door in.

Inside, the captain staggered around to his desk, appearing to hold something against his front. Books were scattered across the floor along with papers, drawers were thrown open and emptied and the window straight ahead [behind the desk] was cracked. A violent storm outside could be heard and the wind whipped into the room along with the roar of thunder and flash of lightning.

The man was clearly startled by their presence; he peeked over his shoulder at them but then quickly turned away, staggering to his desk and sitting in the chair. "Oh… hello, Mister Tyrant – Miss Sherry…" his greeting was strangely quiet, calm and all they could see was the leather chair he sat in.

"Are you okay, sir?" was Sherry's concerned question; she started to approach but Jake held her in place by her shoulder.

"I am… relieved…" he spoke. "I thought you'd be dead, Miss Sherry."

She tried to voice her confusion but Jake cut in, "What the hell's up with your crew, _vecchio_?" he asked. "There's been a lot of screamin' goin' on at night… you know about that?"

"Screaming?" Sherry echoes nervously, her gaze going from Jake to the captain.

"My wife was once among the crew here…" the captain's voice sounded out into the room with much despondency and forlorn. "We had so many good times… We sailed for years along with the crew and helped so many people, humans and tyrants alike. Everything was wonderful until the day when we got lost at sea. We were lost for over two months… stranded at sea with no nets to catch fish…"

"Many of the crew tried diving but none ever returned... I believe the waters were shark infested. We were all so helpless - no matter how many flares we sent off into the sky our dilemma went unnoticed for far too long. We finally were discovered but by then... the damage was done."

"Wh-What happened to your wife...?" Sherry asked timidly.

"...She was the first to go." his voice cracked and he could be heard sniffling and choking back tears. "She needed the food and we ran out of necessities after the first month… no matter how hard she tried to hang on, in the end it was futile. I had returned to my quarters to mourn in silence… When I returned she was…"

"The crew ate her." Jake finished for him.

A deafening silence enveloped them all. Not even the wild storm outside could stir anyone.

They were speaking of a cultural taboo that no one ever wanted to acknowledge - let alone believe could ever be so...

Sherry didn't believe him, the squinting of her eyes and thinned lips made that quite clear. "Jake... that's ludicrous and you know it." she said shakily, breaking the silence. "They didn't do that... they couldn't have..."

After an agonizing silence, the captain finally replied.

"Yes… my own crew ate my wife."

"No…" Sherry gasped, her hands came up to cover her mouth. "There's no way... th-that's..."

Jake was completely unfazed on the outside – his cloak concealed his reaction, but he was definitely just as sickened by the news as she was, though less expressive than she.

"I would have rather starved than eat another human being…" the captain sobbed. "…by the time we were found by a rescue ship, I was near death but managed to survive with the care they provided. But by then… the damage was done... and my crew was corrupted by the worst sort of human evil."

"They never stopped." Jake confirmed.

"Oh God..." Sherry's stomach was turned in the worst sort of way and everything she'd eaten over the past few days was threatening to come up.

"Unfortunately… no, they haven't. T-They were all more willing to continue eating people… and it sickens me. I've seen them kidnap many people who have boarded this ship, killing and cooking them. At first I had no clue that this gruesome endeavor had continued but… I have to face the facts. And the worst part is, they're doing it now as we speak…"

"Oh my God… so a-all this time t-they've been cooking… they're c-cooking…" Sherry couldn't even finish her statement.

She gagged, staggering to the door of the room but didn't exit out of fear she'd collapse to the floor. She coughed and gasped for air; everything was threatening to come up and she felt sick all over. After her coughs died down some, she started feeling weak to her knees. She clung to the walls and tried to steady her breathing. There were footsteps approaching from behind her but didn't turn to the source as she was aware who it was.

"How long did you know…?" she asked breathlessly.

"I had many different scenarios in mind but this was the one I expected last." Jake replied with impressive composure. "I tried not to tell you, I'd rather we got the hell outta here before the truth came out." he shrugged, "Nobody wants to know they're surrounded by a ship full of sick fucks."

She whirled around to send him a bitter frown, "You should have told me!" she shouted while clutching her sensitive stomach, "What if something had happened to me?"

Jake's crystalline orbs narrowed at her, "I thought you felt safe in my care, Siren? Do you not trust me anymore?" he tilted his head to the side as if to give emphasis.

She panted a few times before replying, "I… I do but this is scary, Jake. I could have been eaten by these _freaks_!"

"Dammit I just figured it out myself – now stop shouting." he growled. "Besides, that wasn't gonna happen on my watch." he shoved his hands into his pockets, "You're safe with me, _capisce_? You don't have to worry about anything..." his tone was soft and for a moment, Sherry felt concern from him.

She started to feel better; the queasiness was dramatically lessened and she was slowly starting to compose herself. "Okay... I trust you, Jake... and I'm sorry for doubting you."

The hybrid hummed, turning back to the captain. The man still had the back of the chair to them and didn't seem at all interested in facing them. While Sherry still slowly alleviated her nausea, Jake approached the captain...

The sudden sound of ticking reached his ears.

"Turn around." he demanded of the captain. Behind him, Sherry narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Jake advanced on the man and grabbed the leather seat, spun him around and his cold his eyes widened drastically.

The captain had a bomb strapped to his chest… and it was counting down.

7 minutes, 26 seconds to detonation.

* * *

"_Che cazzo_!" Jake exclaimed with shock.

Sherry froze like a dear in headlights, "A-A _bomb_?!"

"What the fuck are you doing?" Jake growled, staring the man down.

"I'm taking this ship, these monsters, and the horrors of it down with me." the captain explained calmly.

"Oh no…" Sherry gasped with terror.

Jake watched the man reach into his pocket and pull out a key, handing it to him. "She reminds me of my wife –" he gestured to Sherry with a sad smile, "Please, both of you, use my motorboat. This key should take the padlock off it."

The hybrid snatched it quickly and reached for Sherry, "Let's go." he glanced back at the captain and furrowed his brow, "…Are you sure about this?"

He nodded, "Now go – good luck my friends."

The half-breed only hesitated for a moment before sprinting away with Sherry in tow. To meet a human willing to stop madness among their own kind... it was quite foreign to him but Jake concluded that maybe, just maybe...

The establishment of morals, standing by them and taking responsibility was what would ease this innocent man's conscious. This was the captains crew that had lost its morals and he was taking responsibility by ending it all. An act of redemption perhaps on the part of a captain that he failed his crew. But he hadn't failed them, they failed him and he still felt responsible for them.

Like the Primitives who were different from other tyrants but accepted responsibility for their madness... This captain was taking responsibility for his people now that they were astray...

He would never be able to comprehend that because he felt he was different from the rest. Why put that burden on yourself if you've done nothing wrong?

_Because when a leader falls, so does the nation._

The captain was yet another human had gained Jake's respect.

* * *

Jake and Sherry raced towards the deck where the boats where. They had no time to stop by the room and grab their things – they had to escape or they were goners.

Bursting out of the double doors, they arrived at the deck. The storm was raging, thrusting the ship about with violent waves and intense rainfall. Jake instructed Sherry to follow him once he caught sight of the captain's motorboat. Just as they closed in on it, the sea waves thrust the ship enough to stagger them both, sent them hurling, rolling to the ship's bow and the balcony there saved them from flying clean off the ship.

"Oh my God!" Sherry cried as they were sent tumbling again. The wind was howling and the sea waves were relentless, the rain clouded their vision in addition to making their advance a much more dangerous endeavor.

Jake managed to stand again with the balcony's assistance. He grabbed Sherry around her waist and tried to press forward. Lightning lit up the dark skies, startling them both enough that he lost balance once again and they fell to the floor.

The hybrid found balance once more but this time he had Sherry against him – but his other hand was empty. His eyes widened, the key was missing!

"Dammit!" he cursed loudly, "The fuckin' key's gone!"

"Jake, look!" Sherry was propped against his waist and he held her there with one arm looped around her waist. She pointed to a lifeboat nearby; it was attached to some cords and looked like they were weakening thanks to the storms aggression. "If we could cut the chains we could escape on it!"

Jake took heed of her words and sprang forward though they crashed against the balcony beside the lifeboat and the impact caused him to drop Sherry. She rolled back to the bow and struggled to stand, "Shit!" he cursed making a start for her.

"No!" she cried, rising to her feet and clinging desperately to the railing as the wind threatened to take her away. "Detach the boat – I'll be with you shortly!"

"Dammit – don't tell me what to do!" he retorted angrily.

"_Please_?!" she shrieked in the loud storm almost a bit too sweetly.

"Fine, dammit!"

Jake was able to sharpen his claws just like the other tyrants could and he used that ability to cut whatever was left of the cords holding up the lifeboat. The boat fell onto the waters and was quickly being pulled away in the heavy tides. Jake turned back to Sherry who was nearing him and reached for her, "_Avanti_!" he shouted.

Just as he gripped her hand, the ship stirred and sent them flying towards the bow again.

When he managed to stand, Jake saw the lifeboat being carried away in the waves. It had gained some distance but he could reach it in no time.

"Hang on tight to me!" he instructed, Sherry instantly wrapped her arms around his middle as firmly as possible.

In a quick flash, the hybrid sprang high into the air and made a sharp dive straight for the water in the same direction that the lifeboat went. Sherry squeaked in horror, unable to believe what her protector was about to do.

"Get ready!" he informed her and a moment later, "Hold your breath – now!"

Sherry shut her eyes tight and took in some air, a second later, they plunged powerfully into the sea. The effects and force of the dive was equal to that of an underwater explosion by a torpedo. The two surfaced an instant later but were a safe distance away from the ship. Jake had his arms tightly wound around Sherry's waist and hers were at his neck now.

Before they could really steady their breath, the ship exploded.

The two flinched from the sound and blast, watching with wide eyes as the ship went ablaze. Jake and Sherry gazed upon the wooden ship as it burned and smaller explosions sounded out from the inside. The people on the ship… Sherry silently hoped that the innocent ones didn't suffer and that their fate was too instant to feel it because there was no way they could have saved everyone...

Jake shifted Sherry onto his back where she once again wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "_Andiamo_." he said just above a whisper, his voice was raspy. He began to swim towards the lifeboat; surprisingly, it wasn't too far away and the waves had died down enough that it was easily reachable.

He climbed in and Sherry released him to collapse onto the floor, coughing and gasping for air. Jake sought to catch his breath as well once his knees hit the wood. Sherry laid flat on her back, one arm across her stomach, the other mindlessly clinging to Jake's sleeve.

She had water in her ears and it was very uncomfortable, her lips tasted of the sea and she was quite dizzy – perhaps from the dive.

When she finally recovered, she groaned before turning to look at her escort. His hood had come off and his head was inclined slightly as he quietly composed himself. In that moment, her eyes caught sight of something very striking near Jake's ears…

_He has… he has **gills**?! _

Before she could voice her revelation, he spoke up. "_Stai bene_?" he asked softly, tilting his head to look down at her soaked body.

She suspected he was asking about her condition and nodded breathlessly, "…What about you?" her throat felt sore for some reason, her voice was mousy and weak with a scratchiness to it.

He shrugged, turning back to the direction of the ship. Sherry whimpered a bit as she sat up to follow his lead; she still felt dizzy and the water in her ears wasn't helping. While she joined him, she leaned her head side to side to let the water escape.

After the explosion, it seemed like the storm had died down and was left with just an endless rain; not even the waves were as dramatic. The ship was vivid, bright and forlorn with much consideration or sentiment. The lifeboat drifted farther and farther away from the ship until it disappeared into the thick mist around them. It was once lost at sea for only two months and turned the crew into savages.

But now it would be lost forever, it's tale of savagery would be lost with it.

"So… where are we?" Sherry asked after a long stretch of silence. She glanced around their surroundings seeing nothing but the immediate sea around them and the thick fog in the distance.

Jake sniffed the air, "Dunno…"

Sherry pushed herself to lean against one end of the boat. Jake stayed in the middle with his back to her. Grabbing two paddles off the floor, he began to row the boat in no particular direction intentionally. He simply knew they needed to find land soon and then once again, their journey back to Raccoon would commence.

He knew this was growing more and more risky by the minute. The longer he was exposed to the outside world – the more at risk he was to be found by **that man**.

He refused to go back there.

He would never return to the land of the damned.

The two progressed further into the night. Surrounded by fog and silence – they pressed on; leaving one of the darkest aspects of humanity behind them.

* * *

A/N: There's chapter 3! I want to thank **aquacrow** once again for helping with the translations – you're the best! *hugs*

Sorry for the wait, I had school but it won't happen again because I'm adjusting a little more now. Thanks for the reviews, favs and alerts! They make me very happy! :D Please review for this chap too – I appreciate the feedback.

A little explanation: Okay, we're going into a different section of the fic now. CH1 – 3 was a part of an arc for this fic. Every 3 chapters is an arc and this one (1 – 3) was about "Perception". Chap 1, Jake met a weird girl who he realized isn't like most humans and thinks it's strange. Chap 2, Jake realizes said girl really isn't scared of him and is VERY different than others. He also notices that she's genuinely interested in him. Chap 3, Jake confirms this girl is a special case and is becoming possessive of her because he finds her similar to her father and also because he finds her physically attractive.

As for Sherry; Chap 1, Sherry witnesses the evil the tyrants are capable of and still thinks her hero is different from them. Chap 2, Sherry truly confirms that her hero is different and he is special case from everyone else. She also sees that tyrants are capable of virtue despite their ways. Chap 3, Sherry realizes that even humans have a dark side and now, the one person she truly trusts is her hero who will keep her safe no matter what.

I just wanted to give this info so things will be a bit easier to follow. This next arc is about "Bonds" and it's the most fun – trust me XD Leon, Steve and a few others will be in the next chapter so I hope you'll stick around for it.

And head's up… things will get steamy pretty quick in this fic because it is a key component to it.

Thanks for all the support so far and I'll see everyone soon!

-Vio

* * *

Chapter 3 Translations:

Ehi! - Hey!

Stronzate - bullshit

Vecchio - old man

Capisce - got it?

Che cazzo - the fuck?!

Basta - stop it/enough!

Piccolina - pretty little one

Caro - Beloved, sweetheart

Dolcezza - sweetness

Avanti - come on!

Andiamo - let's go

Stai bene - are you okay, is everything well?

Signore - Sir


	4. Sheena Island

Chapter Four:

**Sheena Island**

_Welcome to the rainy city…_

* * *

It felt like Jake had to force his eyes open and once he did, he saw nothing but grey skies above. Rain drizzled down upon him; he lay with his head on the floor of the lifeboat, unmoving as he gazed to the clouds, his body soaked from head to toe in rain and the remnants of sea water.

With a groan, he tried to sit up but something in particular was weighing on him…

Inclining his head as much as he could, he was surprised to see a mop of wet blonde hair projecting out from the collar of his cloak. His brows elevated once he realized this was the siren girl.

Sometime during the night she must have crawled onto him. What most astounded him was that she managed to slip inside his cloak, snuggle against him and make herself comfortable on top of him without stirring him awake.

She was a crafty little temptress indeed.

The hybrid was fascinated by her. She seemed so comfortable on him; her cheek was resting right beneath his collar bone, he could feel a gentle puffs of breath as she slept soundly. Her hands were clinging to his shirt at his chest area - he could feel her soft breasts too and her legs on either side of him. _So she's straddling me, eh? _He chuckled deep in his throat, a grin plastered on his handsome face.

His hands gradually came alive and he snaked them beneath his wet cloak to slowly make their way to her buttocks…

* * *

Sherry moaned softly, rousing herself awake when she felt arms tightly around her. Someone had her locked firmly in their embrace, their hands tenderly tracing along her spinal column…

And squeezing her ass at the same time.

She twists her neck to gaze up into the eyes of her captor and stiffened when her watery hues met those usually cold as ice, but this time, there was a flicker of animation to them - giddiness even.

"Damn Siren, I didn't think you wanted me _this_ bad." as he spoke, a smirk permanently etched on his handsome features. "But hell, I ain't complainin'."

Sherry's cheeks were ablaze with blush, "Oh hush," she retorted, averting her gaze. "I-I just got cold and you're warm so I…"

In response to her rebuttal, he gave her left ass cheek a firm squeeze and earned a gasp from her. As she tried to squirm away, he pulled her back to him and wound his arms tightly around her upper torso, and then bent his knees to hold her in place.

Sherry thought she would faint from being so close to him. Their noses were a mere centimeter apart and she was forced to stare helplessly into his icy orbs. She was starting to feel faint, her cheeks were burning with embarrassment.

Jake grinned, clearly delighted by her reaction. "No, no, no… _Non ti muovere sirena_." he whispered. "I like this position for you…"

The lovely blonde shook her head, turning to face the sea waters around them instead of her enigmatic escort. She could see nothing but a spooky green fog, a gentle drizzle and water. She wondered how long they'd been out there - was it the next day or had they slept longer than that? It was cold and she found she liked being this close to him because he kept her warm – but his sexual passes at her were quite embarrassing. "Jake, I wasn't trying to do anything. I was just cold."

"So that's a good reason to straddle me?" he scoffed, tilting his head to see her as best as he could. "You may as well fuck me right here, _right now_."

Now _that_ caught her off guard. "What are you talking about?" she whispered, sending him a bewildered look.

He shifted and to her surprise…

He started grinding upward against her center.

"You wanna warm up so bad – why don't I just bang you some?" he proposed with a casual tone, his eyes appeared cloudy, in a daze as he gazed into her eyes. "Maybe that would warm ya up, huh?"

Sherry wasn't sure if she should be flattered or offended by his obvious physical attraction to her. It was nice to know he looked at her as a woman, capable of many things including intimacy but there was more to her than her beauty and allure.

She had big heart and she wanted nothing more but for him to see that.

She fought off a pleasured sigh in an effort to scold him. But damn it felt so right to be in his arms and engaging in such… wanton desires…

_I want his heart first..._

He held her firmly in place so that she couldn't escape him. His hips continued to grind up, meeting her sensitive parts with skill and precision even though there were barriers between them – namely their clothes. In contempt of her mind telling her to pull away, her body was weakened by him in an instant.

The beautiful blonde sighed when he buried his face into her nape, breathing onto her skin and his nose traveled along her there. He let out a sound akin to a cat's purr but deeper, louder and it came from his chest almost.

She felt magnificent where she was. Jake was quite affectionate… and impeccably lascivious.

She had to pull away immediately.

"J-Jake, would you –" She never finished her statement because the fog before them was starting to clear and she could see a large silhouette forming there. "Oh my God…" she gasped.

Jake wasn't paying attention; he was too busy trying to unbuckle his pants with one hand while holding her in place with the other. "Relax babe, I ain't even unbuckled my jeans yet and you're already impressed –"

A frustrated Sherry let out a flustered growl, "No Jake, look!" she gestured to the land ahead of them.

The hybrid looked just as a wall of hardened brown rocks emerged from the thick clouds of fog over the sea. It appeared to be a cliff belonging to tall mass of land. The height and width insinuated that it could stretch on for miles; the fog concealed its latitude and longitude as they scanned its physiognomy. From their current position, there was no telling whether it was simply a mountain of rocks or possibly an island.

When his eyes offered no merit, Jake always resorted to his olfactory senses. Inhaling the air around them, he detected the scent of a forest. "It's an island." he announced gruffly.

"So we've reached land…" Sherry confirmed with a smile. "I guess we'll go around it to see where we can –"

Jake cut her off with an irritable huff, "That can wait, we were in the middle of something." he resumed his previous endeavor though he was clearly growing annoyed.

She was taken aback by his mood, "Jake, you can't be serious. We need to get off this boat – we may not have another chance at land for a while… a long while."

He ignored her now that he finally had his pants unbuckled. Before he could pull them down Sherry gasped and pulled away. "Stop it would you? Let's try to get around this –"

"No," he snapped suddenly, rising to his feet and redoing what he'd just undone, mumbling and grumbling incoherently in irritation. When he finished, he glared down at her. "Grab on tight siren, I'll climb it."

The blonde blanched, "Did you say... climb?"

The boat gradually closed in on the terrain. Once it was close enough, Jake leaped toward it with Sherry clinging to him. She was holding onto him from behind, her legs wrapped tightly around his middle and her arms around his neck. She had a face buried into his nape, attempting to not look down or think about it while he climbed.

Everything seemed fine for a while until Sherry started feeling uneasiness. For some reason she was starting to feel very weak. She felt dizzy, cold and was now aware of her stuffy nose and achy body. A sense of dread reached her, she knew fully well was going on and she was dismayed that it was catching up to her so quickly…

_Just focus on keeping your arms around him, Sherry – nothing else._

She hung on for as long as she could before her arms felt like water…

A single scream escaped her before Jake's hand grabbed hers, preventing her from a watery death. She looked helplessly up to him and mouthed a silent apology and words of gratitude. Sherry knew she couldn't hold onto him anymore, her muscles felt shaky, tired and cold…

But she didn't have to hold him anymore.

Jake smirked down at her before throwing her high into the air so that she disappeared into the fog above.

She screamed as she was hoisted up and surrounded by the thick mist around her – she was so loud, shrill and scratchy with her outcry that she sounded like some sort of demented bird.

A far cry from the siren Jake titled her as.

An instant later, the wind was knocked out of her as she was tackled out of the air.

Jake flipped mid-air to gracefully touch the ground with Sherry in his arms, he cradled her bridal style as he stood upright on land. Upon release, she weakly stood on her feet and looked dizzily to him as he uttered: "_Stai bene_?"

She should've known he'd notice her shivering from the cold, her teeth chattering, her labored breathing… Surely he could see she was in poor condition. "N-No…" she replied stiffly but honestly, hugging herself to preserve body heat. "I-I'm s-so cold…"

"Let's get some shelter then…" he narrowed his eyes at her suddenly after he took a few whiffs of the air around them. "You might wanna stick close to me at all times, siren."

Sherry's delicate form staggered to his side as she gazed up at him, watching his icy hues scan the surroundings in the dark of his hood. "W-Why…?"

"This is tyrant territory."

* * *

They walked quite some time through a dense forest. The fog was thick as ever and the rain continued its mild descent upon the world around them. Jake had resorted to carrying Sherry. Though he was wet too, she seemed to shiver less when held against him.

He cursed the fact that humans could get ill – they were weak against so many natural factors the earth presented and he dreaded to think Sherry's condition could worsen anytime soon.

Eventually he stumbled upon a small community of old cabins. There were maybe five available and he chose the one in the center to avoid detection if possible. He thought it was sheer luck that this happened; the cabins appeared to have been vacated some time ago – he could smell that only humans lived in them and they hadn't returned in quite some time by the faint quality in the scent.

He kicked in the door and entered. It was a small abode; a bed in one corner, a fireplace, open closet and wall of tools were present. Jake felt Sherry stirring in his arms and looked down to her, "Hang on, I'll see if I can make things a bit more comfy, ya know?" he winked at her and was satisfied with the tiny smile she offered.

Letting her stand, he moved towards the bed and removed the blankets there. He was pleased to see no signs of blood or dirt – there was a hint of dust here and there but Sherry would have to deal with it to get warm for now. After giving the blanket a good few shakes to rid it of dust, he came to her and wrapped it around her, earning a blissful sigh in return.

While she moved to take a seat on the edge of the bed, he started to check around for some sort of means to start a fire. He opened a drawer where he retrieved a wad of matches. A moment later, he lit the fireplace and let out a breath as warmth filled the small space.

The hybrid slid to the floor in the corner and dropped his head, "You better not get sick, siren." he said dryly, "Illness is so unattractive on a lady, don't cha think?"

Her response was tarnished by an almost alarming hoarseness to her voice, "I don't think there's anything we can do about it…" she said and Jake's head snapped in her direction.

She almost startled him with that horrid scratchiness to her voice.

"The hell's up with your voice?" he asked.

She appeared disheartened by that question, "I… I think I'm getting hoarse. It's a sign I'm getting a cold." she explained, appearing to be near tears.

It sounded like her voice was failing her. "Maybe you should stop talking." he suggested gruffly.

That came out harsher than he intended but she smiled faintly to him, "Yeah… I guess."

He noticed her head lower and now she had a bad case of the sniffles. It was quite… _cute_ on her. Her pale face was suddenly contrasted with a pink nose, even more watery eyes and that raspy voice was just icing on the cake. She had once again caught his interest.

He wondered could she sing while like this.

He also contemplated how she could sound with him hammering into her naked body...

The hybrid erased the thought before it got too heavily etched into his mind. "You think you gonna be okay by morning?"

She shrugged, "Maybe… I hope so."

Jake stared long and hard at her, she kept glancing back and forth between him and the bed. He smirked and patted the spot beside him, "C'mere, siren – you can sit with me."

She blushed while making her way over to him with shaky legs. She struggled to sit so Jake had to help her by gripping her around her waist. He noticed how tiny her waist was in comparison to her wide hips. Wide hips meant easy births from what he gathered and if he ever wanted to pop out a few bastards to carry his _**curse**_, he knew where to look.

"You warm?" he asked once she was settled.

Sherry nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Thank you…" she whispered and for a moment her hoarseness seemed to dissipate.

"Sleep, siren – we'll move during the day since we're among tyrants around here."

"Okay…"

* * *

Jake and Sherry awoke the next morning to the same scenery as when they'd gone asleep. Sherry had curled up next to him on the floor some feet away from the fireplace, Jake wasn't sure why she dissed the bed but said nothing of it and she was glad of that. After two nights of sleeping so close to him, she found she liked it. She didn't understand his relentless sexual innuendo but wasn't complaining of it. He was just being silly in her eyes.

Luckily she was feeling a bit less weak today and was able to walk and keep up with Jake while they continued their advance through the forests.

Suddenly, something caught her eyes.

"Jake, what is that?" she pointed ahead of them.

Jake followed her finger to see a sign in the distance. It was a lit with flashing lights and the sign read _Motel_. "It's a motel sign."

"Yes but what are all those twinkling things around it?"

The hybrid was almost shocked by her question. He had forgotten she never seen anything outside of Raccoon. She wouldn't understand all the technologies the world had to offer in some parts it and it seemed they had arrived at one of the biggest cities.

And it was a tyrant city…

"Siren, I'm gonna tell you something right now and you are to refer to me by that name from this point on – understand?"

Sherry nodded heavily, "Okay."

"You are to call me '_Sir_', if anyone asks for my real name, tell them you don't know it, _capisce_?"

She sent him a peculiar look but eventually settled on a nod, "Alright…"

"Don't slip up – at any time."

Jake was perturbed by what they were about to do, but as long as they lied low, they could be in and out of this city in no time.

…There was a particularly familiar scent in the air.

The scent of a tyrant Jake had long been acquainted with.

Sherry noticed the wide grin creeping onto her escorts face and was quite disturbed by it. "Um, _Sir_ – what's going on? Why are you smiling like that?"

"_Non preoccuparti sirena, andrà tutto bene_." he spoke through his teeth, his grin remained as he walking ahead of her.

The beautiful blonde had no idea what he just said. All she could make out was 'Siren'… Still she jogged ahead to stand by his side.

The forest was almost inert around them; only the sounds of owls hooting and crickets could be heard. Sherry would instinctively latch onto Jake whenever a twig fell off a tree nearby, startling her or when the other shrubs or bushes rustled. They hadn't seen any animals, they could only hear them – it was as if they were hiding from them or watching from the distance...

"Sir, where are we going?" Sherry asked after they progressed a good distance around the almost fortress that served as a border for the city inside. "Are we looking for the entrance?"

"_Eccoli_..." Jake whispered suddenly.

Before she could question him, he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and crushed her body against his. Sherry yipped and an instant later, they were surrounded by figures wearing cloaks similar to Jake's. All were concealed by their hoods but she could see they each had their fangs bared.

_Tyrants_.

Sherry usually wasn't afraid of tyrants but with so many of them around her, ready to pounce in a second - she was completely unnerved.

"'Bout time you guys got here." Jake was apparently entertained much to Sherry's silent chagrin, "I was starting to wonder how long it'd take before ya noticed a stranger on your turf."

One of them stepped forward, he was the same height as Jake with dangerously narrowed brown eyes vivid in the dark of his hood, "Don't flatter yourself, partner." He spat harshly, "We noticed ya long before now. The only reason we didn't jump too quick was cuz the boss said he recognized ya smell."

Sherry could feel Jake growl deep within his chest, "Get outta my face, asshole." he threatened and Sherry knew she had to take action and quick.

"Easy now…" she said hoarsely. So she wasn't completely over the cold in her throat but she couldn't think of a worse time for it to show than now.

"What's with that chick's voice?" she overheard one of the tyrants wonder aloud.

_Great, how embarrassing… I'm surrounded by immortals who don't understand how a cold works and they probably think I'm a little boy going through some sort of scratchy voiced puberty or something… _

"What the fuck is some _half-breed_ gonna do to me?" the tyrant challenged Jake further.

Jake pushed Sherry behind him and ended up in a full-on stare down with the tyrant, a cocky smirk graced his features but there was a fierce power behind his icy hues. "Swing asshole and then you'll find out."

"Sir please –" his hand covered Sherry's mouth but his intense glare never left his opponents.

"Seriously what's with her voice?"

Sherry wanted to take off her boot and throw it at that tyrant for being such a jerk. _For God's sake it's a damn cold! Stupid inhuman... jerk._

"What's the matter? You all bark and no bite?" the hybrid taunted loudly, "You scared?"

This enraged the tyrant.

Sherry squeaked and ducked down, covering her ears and shut her eyes tight as the tyrants all around her unleashed hellish screeches in union. It was like a choir from hell singing a chorus! Even with her hands shielding her ears, she recognized the unearthly wail - it was similar to those unleashed in the Desert towns. But what did it mean?

As she tried to identify that, she picked up on another sound emerging from the rest. There was one in the midst of the others that was deeper, almost similar to that of a roar. Eventually, the other wails died down and all that remained was the stronger one. It was so powerful it shook the trees around them and seemed to make the ground quake as well.

The performing woman was close to tears as she dreaded to think Jake was fighting around her. She kept her eyes closed, silently praying he would be alright. She recalled his victory when she was younger and even when they were escaping the Desert towns. He was a powerful man; she had no doubt that it was he who unleashed that otherworldly bellow... but did that mean he was in trouble or winning?

She was worried about him. She wanted to protect him but while they were surrounded like this, she was helpless with no weapon in sight.

The frightening shrieks picked up again and continued for what felt like hours. Sherry remained where she was, praying it would end soon.

Suddenly, she felt hands on her waist. Gradually and gently, the person picked her up to her feet. She whimpered as she was pressed against that person's chest and she buried her face there, trying hard to steady her heart beat.

Surrounded by a sudden thick silence, she gathered the nerve to move her hands from her ears. Simultaneously, the blonde was dumbstruck to hear laughter all around her.

Her eyes flickered everywhere as she discovered that all the tyrants weren't out for the count. She looked up at her captor with fear but that was immediately alleviated when she locked eyes with Jake. He appeared fine – like a fight had never happened. _Perhaps they didn't fight?_

The tyrants were laughing and offering Jake praise! She couldn't believe it. They patted his back a few times and even the tyrant who originally challenged him was now standing with his arms folded and a distinct almost smirk was revealed. She looked up again, Jake had the most smug smirk on his face she'd ever seen. Since she was pressed to him, she could see his face clearer than others.

_Could it have been… a challenge for respect? _She thought she would never understand tyrants…

Judging from the lighter mood, the blonde was sure Jake had earned the tyrants approval.

Something about having such a powerful and intimidating hybrid like Jake at her side - taking care of her… it was exhilarating.

_My big, strong hero…_

"Well, well, well…" A new voice sounded out.

Sherry pulled away from Jake to see the one responsible. Appearing from behind the leader tyrant was a new individual. He was short in stature, about 5"8 and dressed in nearly all black but with army fatigue pants tucked into black boots. He had on a black trench coat that was unbuttoned and a dog tag chain around his neck. A mess of copper red hair was on his head and he had eyes the color cloudless skies on a sunny day.

He looked like a human...

_Who is he? _Sherry wondered quietly, feeling Jake's arm wind around her shoulder to pull her back to him.

"Long time no see, kiddo." Jake greeted with a grin.

"Sir, sorry we got distracted – we didn't know this guy was this badass!" one of the tyrants explained.

_He's their leader? _To say she was surprised was an understatement. The other tyrants towered over him! Moreover, he looked around her age!

"That's fine," the leader walked over to them and Sherry observed him do a sort of bro-fist handshake with Jake. _They're friends…? _"Good to see ya buddy." he looked to Sherry and she blushed, hiding her face in her escorts chest. "Heh! Looks like you got yourself a lady huh? What's her name?"

"Leave her alone." Jake spat.

His friend was undeterred, "You're as defensive as always. Well, you gonna stand out here in the rain all day or can I set you and your honey up with a room and free food?"

Sherry's ears perked up at that, she sent a pleading look up to Jake and he smirked, "Fine, lead the way."

The leader grinned and whirled away on his heels to make a stride towards the gates nearby. They were tall iron gates with more flashy buttons that Sherry noticed. When the gates opened up without anyone's assistance, Sherry grabbed hold of Jake. He shook his head at her innocence and wrapped his arm around her waist.

When the gates opened, there was a small empty room inside with metal floors… Sherry was perplexed but urged forward by her escort. "What's with your chick?" the leader asked, going towards another flickering light where the doors closed shut behind them.

"She's not a city girl." Jake replied shortly.

"Ah… well don't worry little lady – we call this thing an _elevator_. Can you say, _el-lah-va-tor_?" he grinned widely as he pronounced the word for her.

_Elevator? What's an elevator? _She was curious but was a little offended that the tyrant was treating her like a child. "Shut up, Burns – she ain't slow."

_Thanks Jake. _She thought quietly.

"Oh, where are my manners?" the tyrant chuckled, his finger hovering over a button. "Welcome to Sheena Island – it's a tyrant colony that thrives day and night because of the cloudy, wet terrain. We don't get a lot of sunshine here if any at all and we like to party hard all day every day! So, if ya like to have a good time, you've come to the right place!"

His smirk widened as he pressed the button and the room jerked around them. Sherry's scream was muffled by Jake's hand and he chuckled in her ear, "Shh…" he whispered as she clung tightly to him, in a midst of panic.

_What's going on? Why is the room moving?!_

She felt like she was falling and her head was spinning but she could hear the tyrant leader continue to speak, "Oh and I don't think I've properly introduced myself. I am Sheena Island's mayor – they call me Burns but the name's Steve…"

"Steve Burnside."

Sherry's eyes widened but she didn't dare look his way... _Could he… could he be the tyrant Claire always talks about? _

* * *

The elevator they had taken down stopped and the doors slid open to reveal a luxurious, black and white porcelain tiled hallway. Straight ahead was an expansive room with duo armchairs facing one another before a round glass table. Behind the set was a small fireplace and along the walls nearby were black leather loveseats.

Everyone's shoes echoed along the floors, Jake still had an arm wound around Sherry's waist and they were followed closely behind by Steve's henchmen while the former lead the way. Sherry's eyes danced everywhere as she admired the decor, it was so different from the stone and wooden environments she was used to.

Once they entered the wider room, they were approached by a group of women wearing sleeveless turtle-neck black dresses, sheer tights, and high heels, each had their hair pulled back into a ponytail except a spare few with hair too short.

"Mayor Burnside, is everything alright?" one woman asked, "You left so suddenly…" she eyed Jake and Sherry cautiously, "Who are these two, sir?"

"What's this, Burns? You got humans lying in wait just to do your bidding?" Jake inquired with an almost smirk hidden by his hood.

Steve turned around and grinned, "I _am_ the Mayor ya know – it all comes with the package." he turned back to the woman, "You – set these two up with a nice room in the city. The rest of you can get them some clean clothes."

"Yes sir." the women chorused, splitting into two groups of three. They grabbed Sherry first and beckoned her to follow them – they fancied to simply plead with Jake to follow, knowing better than to touch him without permission.

Jake reached out and grabbed Sherry, yanking her back to him in an instant. "We're not splitting up." he stated coldly, "Let her go."

"Whoa big guy – relax!" Steve laughed, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "They're just gonna get in her in something more comfortable… and warm." he noticed she was shaking and she'd coughed more than a few times in his presence.

"I'm going with her then." Jake asserted.

"That's creepy." Steve shook his head, "Jeez, they're just _humans_ – what kind of harm can they do to your girlfriend buddy?"

Sherry blinked. _G-Girlfriend…?_

"She's not my girlfriend."

Steve's eyes widened dramatically, "Then why are you so…?" he trailed off when he noticed Jake's shoulders tense up, a short sigh escaped him, "Fine, you can go with her. Ladies, take care of the girl first – the rest of you get him something to wear… he's gonna need a hood too." he gestured to the hybrid's cloak.

The lovely blonde was intrigued by Steve's behavior. He hadn't said Jake's name and even suggested that the girls bring him a hooded jacket. It was almost as if he knew Jake was purposefully keeping himself hidden.

_But why? Why does Jake keep himself concealed behind that hood of his? What is he hiding from? _

Sherry didn't have time to think too much on the topic as the women pulled her with them once again. She looked over her shoulder and saw Steve whispering something to Jake before patting his back a few times and allowing the hybrid to trail behind herself and the other women.

"May I ask your name, ma'am?" one of the women asked, she had short brown hair and even with her heels, she was very short in stature. When she spoke, her tone wasn't very chipper like it had been earlier in Steve's presence, it was more natural.

"My name is Sherry." she replied, clearing her throat immediately afterwards. _Gosh I sound horrible…_

If the woman noticed, she surely hadn't mentioned it. "Nice to meet you Sherry, I'm Rebecca." she smiled, "And these two are Cindy and Ashley."

Cindy was a tall blonde with a bright smile, Ashley was also a blonde but she had chocolate eyes and a pouty expression she assumed was permanent. Sherry waved to them both as she didn't trust her voice anymore.

"We're just going to take you to the guest closets to pick some clothes and then we'll take you to the showers where you can clean up and change." Rebecca continued as she led the way through the extravagant corridor. "Besides, I think some warm water might help tremendously with that cold you've got."

Sherry smiled sheepishly and choked back a giggle, fearing she may sound awful. _That does sound pleasant. _She glanced back at Jake once more and saw he was a short distance behind them. _At least he's still with me. This place is just so extraordinary that it's kind of scary… _

* * *

Sherry was given a beige sweater and blue jeans to put on after her unbelievably long shower – savoring the warmth of the shower seemed to frustrate the women looking after her but for once she was without concern. She knew she had to get better to keep up with Jake and not drag him down – the only way to do that was to get over her cold.

When she slipped on the clothes, she noticed the jeans were well fitted but the sweater was loose and hanging off her shoulders. When she voiced her curiosity, Rebecca explained that she needed to show a little skin if not a **lot** here on Sheena Island.

The blonde wondered why but was ushered out of the room before she could ask.

Jake was nowhere to be found when she came out. Sherry was befuddled but nonetheless led down the corridor once again but this time they passed the room from earlier and entered another hallway. This hall had many doors but Rebecca stopped at the fifth one down to knock quietly and ask for entry.

Steve's voice sounded out on the other side and Rebecca opened the door, motioning Sherry inside. The blonde nervously laced her fingers together and entered, stopping once the door clicked closed behind her. The room was small with bookshelves all across the walls, a desk in the center a top a red rug and two chairs in front of it. Steve was behind the desk, laughing while Jake sat casually in one of the chairs; his foot propped up against the desk, hands folded in his lap.

Sherry observed his new attire, he had on a dark, heavy denim jacket with matching pants. The hood was pulled over his head and she could see a simple black shirt beneath his unbuttoned jacket. He looked her way and she couldn't see much to his face except those icy hues of his as usual.

Jake patted the chair next to him and she walked over to have a seat. "_Stai bene_?" he asked lowly and she nodded.

"I'm okay but my voice is still pretty bad…" she whispered. Keeping a hushed tone made her sound less raspy and forced so she fancied she'd stick with that.

"Damn, you two must've been out in the rain for a while for her to have gotten sick." Steve noted, "And ya smelled like sea water. You guys went swimming in the sea?"

"It wasn't planned," Jake explained, "We were tryna get away from some crazy ass mortals – but that's a story for another day, ya know?"

Steve whistled and scratched at his hair, "So uh, you two stayin' long? It'd be great to hang with ya for a while! I mean, how long's it been? 70 years?"

"Probably 90 years…" said Jake.

"Damn, we're old as dirt!" Steve laughed, looking at Sherry. "Your name's 'siren', right?"

Sherry blinked, "Ah no –"

"It's Sherry, I just call her siren." The blonde shuddered when he said her name – she couldn't recall a time where he'd done that before… it was nice to hear him say it.

"Ohhh… and can I ask why?" Steve drawled.

"If you knew what she was capable of, you'd understand why the name fits." Jake said with a shrug, putting his foot down on the floor. Sherry sent him a curious look but said nothing. "Moving on, we can't stay long and you know why."

Steve appeared a little disheartened, "Ah well, where you two headed?"

"Raccoon city, you think you could help us get there? We need a boat and shit."

Steve furrowed his brows a bit, "Raccoon city you say, heh, I had a girl that went there…" Sherry felt a knot form in her stomach. _Is he talking about Claire? _"Eh but that's beside the point – yeah, I can get you guys there. Sheena Island and Raccoon have direct links to each other, we're brother colonies."

Jake raised a brow, "Is that so?"

"It started a few years ago. Each human colony now has a brother tyrant colony; Raccoon has a few tyrants there and Sheena has quite a bit of the human population though it's mostly women." he grinned.

"Interesting, well how soon can you get us a boat?" Jake asked.

"I'll have to get in contact with the best damn mechanic I know. Right now all the ships are taken and you two are gonna need more than a mangy boat to get back to Raccoon. We have a few high powered boats that are in need of repairs that you could take so I'll see to it that I get one reconstructed for you but it will take some time."

"How long are we talking about?" Jake pressed, growing short-patient.

Steve leaned back in his chair to stare at the ceiling, "You ain't gonna like this but the truth is, it could take two to three weeks – not including test drive time."

"_Cazzo_...!" the hybrid cursed, rising from his chair. He started pacing the room and Sherry watched helplessly at her fuming companion.

"Sir please calm down…" she whispered, coming to place a comforting hand on his chest.

"You don't get it." he said, staring her down harshly, "You have no idea why this is fucked up..."

Sherry stepped back a bit, dismayed by his anger. Steve came over at this time, "Hey, I can promise you that nobody's gonna learn about you, okay? The oldest tyrant here is me and the rest of them don't recognize your smell so even if they knew about **him**... they don't know you."

Jake sent him a hard look, "You sure about that?"

Steve nodded, "Positive." he glanced at Sherry, noting her obvious confusion. "Does your girl know about…?"

"She's not my girl." he stated once again, then the hotheaded hybrid's eyes met hers, "And no… and I intend to keep it that way."

"If she ain't your girl, who is she?"

"Her dad is the mayor of Raccoon and he hired me to protect her." Jake explained gruffly.

"Oooh, but hey – that doesn't mean you two still can't fool around, right?" Steve's implication caused clear embarrassment from Sherry but a huff from Jake.

The lovely blonde noticed her escort started to stare quite intently at her despite his unspoken rebuttal.

Sherry tried to rebuff his claim but instead turned her head quickly and sneezed. This earned her an elevated brow from them both, "S-Sorry…" she muttered.

The tyrant leader chuckled, "That's cute." he said with a grin, "So, until I can get in contact with my mechanic – you two wanna head off to your room and get comfy?"

Jake sighed, "Fine."

"Alright then, follow me."

* * *

Sheena Island is a small island with thickly dense forests surrounding and concealing a well-populated tyrant society. Through the heavy forests lies the urban city where the inhabitants run rampant all day. This city is always bustling with activity; from clubs to restaurants, this city is thriving. With impressive skyscraper buildings, abundant lights, and loud atmosphere, it's a far cry from the quiet woodland surrounding it.

Steve had set them up in an exquisite hotel in the center of the busy city. Their room was located on the 10th floor and had a view of the city via a wide window. There were two full sized beds with a single nightstand separating them. Against the wall beside one of the beds was a dresser and attached mirror. A white phone and receiver were on the nightstand alongside a lamp.

A bathroom door was on the right hand side upon entry and a television and stand were against the wall beside the door. Alongside the TV was a short refrigerator and square table with two chairs.

Sherry gasped with awe when they stepped inside, "Wow…" she breathed. "This room is amazing! And it's so bright in here!" she whirled around to Jake.

The hybrid chuckled; she looked so clueless and seeing her eyes sparkle with fascination was quite amusing. He pointed to the ceiling fan above, it twirled slowly and the dim light from it lit the room. "It's called a _light_," he told her calmly. "It's powered by electricity just like the elevators and other lights in the city. That's where the bright light is coming from."

"Electricity…? But how does it work?"

Jake sighed, "Long story." he turned back to the clearly entertained tyrant behind them, "So we just wait here?"

Steve nodded, "Yep – I'll go fetch my mechanic and we'll make arrangements." he replied, leaning casually against the door frame. "You two get cozy – I'll be back soon." He pushed off the door to leave but stopped abruptly, "Oh yeah…" he closed the door and this alerted the two travelers. "I'm gonna need a code name for you… ya know, to keep you hidden."

Jake stroked his chin in thought, "Hmm…"

"_Spettro_."

The tyrants looked puzzled to the dreamy woman as she blushed prettily, "It's Italian for _specter_… you know, like a 'ghost'... or 'phantom'."

"Or 'shadow'." Jake added with a smirk.

Sherry smiled, "So, is _Spettro_ an okay nickname?"

"Sounds good to me – what about you? You okay with being called 'phantom'?" Steve trifled, nudging the taller male with his elbow. "Heh, the shadow and his siren… interesting concept!"

Jake huffed at his friend's attempt at humor, "Fine by me." he said. "And it would be 'the siren and her shadow'." he corrected. "The siren herself is never much of a threat - it is the darkness that follows her that brings misfortune."

"Heh, sounds even better when you put it that way. Alright, I'm gone - you two take it easy."

Steve gave the two a thumbs up, and then made his leave. Immediately after his departure, Sherry bounced excitedly to the wide window, her eyes were amply full of wonder and fascination at the town. Jake scoffed, removing his jacket and hanging it on the coat rack beside the door.

Sherry could see cars on the streets below, lights hanging over the streets that flashed from green, to red, to yellow. She noticed the cars stop when the light was red and go when they were green - she wondered what was the point of the yellow light as it seemed people did two things - they sped up or slowed down, mostly they sped up.

She thought it was odd considering they had to stop on red following the yellow. Wouldn't a light flash for people to slow down before the stop? It was odd.

With a groan, Jake sat down on the bed farthest from the bathroom, discarded his boots and gradually relaxed on the mattress with his arms folded behind his head. Just as he started to get comfortable, Sherry burst into a fit of coughs. He sat up to send her a look, "You alright there, Siren?"

She settled on the other bed, her hands covering her mouth as she glanced over her shoulder at him when the coughs died down. "I'm feeling pretty lousy but it's nice and warm in here. Hopefully I'll be better soon…" she said softly, her voice was still noticeably hoarse.

He pointed to the refrigerator, "Check the fridge, there might be something good in it."

Sherry nodded, rising to her feet and tip-toeing to the area – but she stopped. She looked helplessly to and from the television, refrigerator and Jake. Jake groaned, rolling his eyes after deciding to help her. "This is the refrigerator." he said, presenting the white appliance. "It keeps things cold so they are edible."

He opened the door and inside was bottled water – a gift from the hotel he assumed. "See?" he offered her a bottle, she accepted it with caution – as if it were a deadly weapon. The hybrid shook his head, grabbed a bottle for himself and opened it to drink. The liquid was so refreshing that he downed it all, crushing the empty container once it was finished. "Nice a cold…" he breathed.

"I think I need something warm to drink with a cold like this…" Sherry mumbled tiredly.

"Ah, now _that_ can be solved like _this_…" Jake led her over to the phone on the nightstand. "This is a telephone. This thing is capable of calling just about anywhere but is mostly meant to connect you to room service."

"Room service?" She echoed curiously. "What is that?"

"It's when the hotel workers bring you whatever you need. Since you're sick, you can call room service and ask for them to bring you whatever you want – within reason of course."

Jake was amused to see her eyes light up, "You mean – someone can bring me some warm lemon tea?" he nodded to her and she squealed but her voice failed her terribly. She coughed, embarrassed. "Ahem, sorry…"

He reached for the phone to hold it against her ear, "You hear that? It's a dial tone. That means you can make a call. Now, you see these number buttons?" he pointed to the digits listed along the base, "You dial numbers according to whom you're calling. Take these lists for example…" he turned her attention to the white sticker on the base below the numbers. There was a list of reference numbers to dial for various reasons. "They gave us a list of numbers we can call to get whatever we want and if you want to call to request some warm tea, you dial the number under the label 'Room Service', _capisce_?"

Her wide watery eyes were enough proof that she was following him but she was still quite lost. A smirk followed the sigh he released, he pulled her to his side by the waist and dialed the number to room service. "Hear that? That means the other phone is ringing. Eventually they'll pick up and –"

"Room service, how may I help you?"

Jake elevated his brows to the blonde once they heard the responding speaker. Her jaw dropped as she looked awestruck to her companion, mouthing how incredible that was. "Bring a pot of hot tea here with a lemon, would ya? And make it strong too."

"Yes of course," the man replied on the other end. "And this is for room 1007?"

"Yep."

"Give us fifteen minutes!" was the cheery response before the call ended and Jake returned the phone to base.

Sherry's hands were over her mouth, showing her surprise. "Oh my gosh – so wait, they're bring me tea to the door?"

Jake nodded, "Yep – they'll be at the door in fifteen minutes."

"Wow… that's incredible! How does a… _phone_ work like that?"

"Another long story I'm not willing to explain right now." Jake said dryly, stretching out on the bed once more, assuming his previous position.

The beautiful blonde seemed far too elated to relax at the moment, "Ja – erm, _Spettro_, what's that thing?" she pointed to the television.

Jake groaned, sitting up once again. "That's a TV. It shows movies and stuff."

Her curious look clearly indicated she had no idea what that was. The hybrid growled, taking the remote off the nightstand and clicking on the TV, startling the singing woman into the bed with him. She curled up against him and stared fearfully at the appliance as it booted up.

"What's going on? Why's it –" her eyes widened dramatically when the TV lit up in the middle of an old fashioned black and white action movie. "What is this?!" she whipped her head to face Jake, he grinned and chuckled deep in his throat. "Is that going on right now? Is that outside or something?"

The blonde hopped off the bed to go the window, her eyes frantically scanned the area but she saw nothing but the usual busy streets. She walked back to join Jake on his bed when he snapped to draw her attention. "I'm so confused…" she mumbled.

Jake sat up and pulled her into his arms; she whimpered but didn't fight him. "_Rilassare, mia cara_…" Jake cooed into her ear, his large hands started to massage her back as his nose buried into her hair. He inhaled her rosy scent and gave a slight shudder. "The TV shows motion pictures and movies about a lot of shit but the scenes you're seeing are not taking place here or anywhere for that matter – they're fake. Made up scenes about some story for viewers to enjoy."

Sherry looked up at him, "It's like they're stuck in that box or something."

Jake buried his face into her neck, "You ain't gotta worry about them, siren." A gentle kiss was placed on her skin and she was apparently startled enough to flinch away from him. "What's the matter? You don't wanna pick up where we left off on the boat?"

She pouted, "Nothing was going to happen on the boat and you know it. Don't start playing games with yourself." she giggled, sliding off his bed to return to hers but stopped in front of the TV. "Um, is it possible to turn this off? I'm not comfortable with it."

"You could always come lay with me, I'll make ya comfy in no time, _dolcezza_." he said with a smirk.

"Your definition of making me comfortable is somehow associated with having sex with me." Sherry started with a tired smile, "I appreciate your enthusiasm but I'm sick and there's no way that I'm getting intimate like this."

Jake came over to wrap his arms around her small waist from behind, his mouth pressed against her ear. "I can't catch a cold, _bella_… come on now, don't leave me hangin'." he purred into her ear.

The hybrid felt her shiver, a soft sigh resonated from her and even with a hoarse, she sounded incredibly sensual to him. He knew he was simply supposed to return her to William but he found he enjoyed teasing her – he wanted to have a little fun with her and was curious as to how far she would go with him.

He wanted to bend her over and take her…

Just then, a knock came to the door. "Room service."

Jake grit his teeth in silent fury as Sherry wiggled herself out of his arms. "I'll get it, try covering yourself." she whispered.

One might compare the hybrid to a dragon huffing, breathing fire and steam from his nose as he walked over to his jacket and slipped it on, hood and all. Sherry smiled at the brooding male and answered the door. A man stood there dressed in all black with a wide tray in his hands. He greeted them both with a gentle smile and entered, placing the tray with a large stainless steel tea pot and porcelain cups on the table.

"Mayor Burnside has requested someone bring you both extra clothing," the attendant stated. "They should be arriving pretty soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this. You see, this tea pot is electronic; you can make as much tea as you like, all you have to do is fill the pot with water and then plug it into the wall." he smiled, "There are extra tea bags available and I endeavored to offer some honey as well."

He lost Sherry the moment he mentioned 'electronic', "Ah, thank you so much, sir."

"It's the perfect remedy for a cold, I can tell you're coming down with one." he chuckled a bit. "Well, take care now."

Once he exited, Sherry shut the door behind him and walked towards the tray just as Jake was observing it. "Wow, Steve sure does have this town in order… Forgive me but it's a little strange considering how young he looks. He's barely much taller than I am." she said with a hint of humor.

Jake hummed, "Have you ever heard of tyrants using camouflage?" Sherry shook her head, "Some tyrants are able to embody a certain form to make themselves less obvious to humans. It's a hunting technique usually but some are prone to using it for other means."

"So Steve is a camouflaged tyrant?" Sherry asked, pouring herself a cup of tea and then Jake. "Here…" she offered it and he accepted it quietly.

"Thanks and to answer your question, yeah – but Steve's actually a battle tyrant."

"What's that?"

Jake sipped the tea, sat his cup down and practically ripped off his jacket. "Damn, the shit's so warm it set me on fire." he grumbled and Sherry giggled some, silently savoring the soothing effects the heat had on her throat. "A battle tyrant is essentially a big ass monster." he explained. "It looks like something straight out of the underworld and their kind is usually used by…" he trailed off at the thought of **that man**. "They're usually used for war purposes."

"Oh… so Steve's actually some sort of monster?" she was clearly disturbed by it.

He nodded, "If we don't get home anytime soon, you just might see it." he teased with a grin.

"I hope not." she sighed, "By the way, you're not a camouflaged tyrant are you?" Jake shook his head and she smiled, "Good, I'd hate to find out those handsome good looks of yours weren't real." she blushed heavily and looked away.

_Ah… so she's flirting now? _He chuckled, "I don't suppose that this innocent demeanor you show the world is all there is to you. If anything, I think you're the one who's concealing a dark side… but don't worry, you're not the only one."

"What are you talking about?" she chuckled, sipping her tea again.

"Siren's are enchantresses - each and every last one of them has a motive for making a man their target. Every siren wears a mask, presenting a single image to the world while their darker underbelly surfaces only when they want it too. Especially when they're ultimate goal is to conquer and bring a man to his knees."

Sherry narrowed her eyes at him and tilted her head to the side, "Are you proposing that I pray on innocent men using a facade... because my true motive is to dominate them?"

Jake smirked, "Sirens want to dominate men in order to get what they want. But every siren's motive is different... so tell me..." he leaned in on her, his features dead serious as their eyes met. "What do you want from_ me_, Siren?"

Another knock came to the door, alerting the travelers once again but their mutual gaze took a long moment to break. Jake growled once again and had to slip on his jacket. Sherry came back down to earth and responded to the knock.

Outside the door was Steve with a new stranger. He wasn't too tall and had a lean physique, handsome good looks and like everyone else in this rainy city, he wore dark colors – a direct contrast to his golden hair. He looked human but with Sherry's knew knowledge of camouflaged tyrants, she wasn't going to rush to conclusions.

"Hey you two; am I interrupting?" Steve asked, stepping inside with a grin.

"Um –"

"Yes." Jake growled.

Steve shrugged, "Too bad!" he teased as he and the newcomer entered the room and shut the door behind them. "Here's my main mechanic. Meet Leon, he's one of the only humans in this world that I actually respect and trust. Leon, meet _Jake _but we'll be calling him_ Spettro_, and this is his _girl_ Sherry – they need help getting to Raccoon."

"Leon?" Sherry started with surprise, shaking the mortals hand. "As in _Leon Scott Kennedy_?"

Leon looked at Steve and then back to Sherry, "Uh yeah… how do you know my name? I don't believe we've met before…? Or have we?"

"Doubt it." Jake cut in gruffly from behind her, his narrowed gaze never left the man the minute he shook her hand.

Sherry fidgeted with her sleeves as she nervously looked up at Leon and occasionally sending cautious glances in Steve's direction. "Um, I hope this isn't awkward but um, my mentor – she's told me that she was best friends with a Leon Scott Kennedy throughout her childhood and also a Steve – a tyrant she became close to but refuses to continue any further with details." she took in some air, "Forgive me but, would any of you happen to know _Claire Redfield_?"

Jake noticed a distinct change in Steve's posture; he stiffened and for a moment, his brows raised before his eyes narrowed. "Did you just say _Claire_?" Steve repeated the name, his voice dangerously low and silvery orbs solely on her.

The blonde flinched, hesitantly, she spoke up once more. "Yes… Claire Redfield; she's my mentor."

Steve didn't reply; he averted his gaze, his fists clenched to the point he was shaking. Jake could feel the agitation resonating from his friend. Steve abruptly sighed and walked over to the window, leaning against the wall beside it, paying attention to the sights outside without saying another word. Sherry and Jake looked at one another simultaneously, she uttered an apology and he shook his head.

"Say uh, why don't we talk about business matters for now?" Leon suggested, a quick grin came and went as the situation called for solemnity. "You two are trying to get back to Raccoon city, right?"

"Yes." Sherry replied with a nod, clearing her throat.

"Alright then, Raccoon's not too far from here but travel time is at least 4 days to a week depending on the weather since its rough around these parts."

Jake huffed irritably, "All we need is a boat and we're fine."

"Yeah but all of our ships and boats are away for the week. There are others here but they all need repairs and well, I'm the only worker who's available since every ship that's sent off must have a mechanic on board for maintenance. I can fix one of these up for ya but we're gonna need supplies for the trip, extra cash, the works."

Sherry glanced back at Jake and made a gesture. As usual, she would work negotiations considering she was the friendly one. She ran a hand through her short tresses and turned back to Leon, clearing her throat once again. "We've been through hell these past few days. We lost all our supplies… but um, I'm the mayor's daughter in Raccoon. If you'd be so kind… I'm sure he could pay you however much you –"

Leon chuckled, "Easy there, I don't need your money. I get paid by the city for every job I do here." he said with a half-smile, "I'm talking about for the trip. You're gonna need a little extra cash and –"

"I've got them taken care of." Steve said faintly. The three could see he hadn't moved from his position and his expression was hidden behind the copper red bangs framing his face.

"Oh okay well that's taken care of that. I'll get started on the repairs immediately." Leon glanced over to Steve and made a face, "You alright?"

Steve remained silent and the awkwardness of the situation was weighing heavily on the two mortals in the room, Jake on the other hand was predictably indifferent. Suddenly, a loud tune rang out in the room startling Sherry into Jake's arms as everyone looked curiously to Steve. The tyrant reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device, "Sorry, I gotta take this." he said hoarsely, turning to walk into the nearby bathroom and pushed the door closed.

"Was that a… phone?" Sherry asked, eyes wide with wonder at her hybrid escort.

Jake kept one arm wound around her waist and shoved the other in his pocket, "It's called a cell phone. It's mobile and you can take it anywhere." he answered.

"Wow, that's so fancy…"

Leon chuckled from beside them, "I guess Raccoon still doesn't have technology?"

Sherry shook her head, "We have some perks but nothing like this. This place is full of surprises – not to mention the decor here is like a palace."

"Tyrant societies tend to have better living circumstances than mortals do." Jake said.

"Why do you stay in Raccoon then?" she asked him curiously, "You could be living wonderfully here with all this advanced stuff and enjoy yourself, right?"

"Mind your business."

_Typical..._

"So Claire's your mentor?" Leon asked suddenly, sending Sherry a small smile. "Small world, huh?"

Sherry nodded with a smile, sliding out of Jake's tight grip as best as she could. He was suddenly being so rough but she knew better than to ask questions. "I'll say – she's told me a lot about how you taught her how to fight and protected her when she was younger."

Leon laughed sheepishly, "Yeah well, she's a natural born fighter so I didn't do much. But uh, we can talk more about that other stuff later – we're both gonna be busy over this week."

She tilted her head curiously, "What am I gonna do?"

"Stay here where I can keep an eye on you." Jake intercepted coldly.

"Well yeah there's that but I was more or less talking about you getting over whatever type of cold you're fighting."

Sherry blushed, "Of… Of course."

"Hey, don't worry about her. You just get working on that boat." the hybrid snarled, wrapping his arms around Sherry's front while glaring harshly down at the sandy haired mechanic.

"Jake!" Sherry scolded, her voice just above a whisper.

Leon's brows elevated with surprise but then a small smirk slowly graced his features, "Sure thing." he made for the door, glancing over his shoulder at them, he said: "Let Steve know I'm leaving to get started, would you?"

Sherry nodded, "Thank you, Leon."

Just as Leon left out, Sherry prepared to close the door when two familiar figures emerged. It was Rebecca and Cindy, each had a cart on wheels. "Hi, sorry to intrude but the mayor instructed that we bring you these clothes…" Rebecca said sweetly.

"Oh come in," Sherry backed away from the door to allow them entry. _What's with all the visits today? _she wondered.

The two women began unloading items of clothing from the cart, laying them across the beds. Cindy stopped abruptly and wormed over to Sherry, whispering into her ear: "I wasn't sure of your bra size… you seem pretty ample so I went with C-cups, is that okay?" Sherry blushed and nodded.

"I like it when she's braless actually."

The girls were thunderstruck. Jake smirked at them with a glint to his eyes behind that hood.

"Okay that's everything." Rebecca said completely unaware of the conversation that had just taken place. "If you need anything else, please let us know."

Sherry thanked them both and watched them exit. Steve came from the bathroom then with a grin on his face. "Sorry about that, guys – being mayor means I gotta hear a lot of bullshit and none of its ever easy."

Jake noticed his friend's sudden change in mood, "No problem." he shrugged, going over to his bed but picked up a menu from the nightstand, looking it over quietly.

"What happened to Leon?" Steve asked, looking from Jake to Sherry.

"He said he was going to get started." Sherry replied, her throat felt dry and even worse. She realized she needed to stop talking if she ever wanted to recover. "Um, I wanted to thank you for your help, sir…" she whispered facing the floor.

Steve raised a brow, "Nah, no thanks needed. Jake and I go way back and he's come through for me more times than I can count. But… if you really wanna thank me, you'd give my friend here a good time, ya know?" he grinned followed by a rapid elevation of his brows.

Sherry blushed, turning away as the tyrant laughed. "Hey, _Spettro_ –" Steve called to his friend. Jake peeked at him over the menu he was reading, "I'll be by to get you at zero hour." he pointed to the clock over the TV. "Try and be ready by then, would ya? Oh and take care of the lady here – you know how _human_ girls are."

"What does that mean?" the blonde was obviously offended but Steve laughed her off and waved before exiting the room.

"Ya hungry, _piccolina_?" Jake asked her suddenly.

Sherry nodded, pouring herself another cup of hot tea but this time she added lemon and honey. She sipped it quietly and hummed before going to sit beside him. Jake sat up and reached for the phone, dialing numbers.

After he placed his order with the restaurant, he went for his boots and started to slip them on. He turned to look at Sherry when he finished, curious why she hadn't asked him anything but her expression said she wanted to. He assumed she was going to try being mute to save her voice.

"I'll be back, stay here and don't open the door for anyone." she nodded and he started for the door but stopped. "Just relax and keep warm. I'd invite you to come but you could use the rest, don't cha think?"

She nodded once more, this time a soft smile graced her pretty features. He turned to her, leaned down some so he could stare her in the face – she shyly averted her gaze but this didn't deter him. She had no idea why he was so close suddenly; she felt like he could see into her soul with those eyes of his.

"_Io mi occuperò di voi bella_…" he whispered huskily. Sherry felt her cheeks go up in flames from the sound. He was staring so intently at her…

She turned to look at him when he finally pulled away, breezing to the door. She didn't even get to say anything before he departed.

Jake locked the door behind him and started down the hotel corridor.

* * *

Jake returned a while later a bag full of food tucked under his arm. He sat it on the table and removed his jacket to hang it on the coat rack. He looked over to the bed to see her sliding out of it, coming to his side wearing some pajamas now.

A pair of satin shorts and a matching top; it was lavender with a black ribbon tying the front of the shirt together at the valley of her breasts. Jake was once again attracted to the smooth skin of her legs.

Did she always have to look so _fuckable_?

"It took you long enough," she whispered. "I was starting to get worried."

"You sure ya didn't just _miss_ me?" he trifled, staring at her backside as she walked past him. The shorts weren't tight but he could make out the shape of her tight ass in them.

Sherry glanced over her shoulder at him, catching him in the act as he wasn't even trying to be discreet. She didn't seem to mind either, she merely hummed before responding: "Maybe…" she reached into the bag and pulled out a ball wrapped in foil. "What is this?"

"You ever had a cheeseburger before?" he asked from behind her. Taking the item from her, he un-apologetically pressed his front against her backside.

"No, what is it?"

Jake emptied the rest of the contents from the bag including two cans with flavored pop in them. Sherry studied them quietly as Jake finished doing his task. When that was over and done with, Jake's strong hands encased her small waist and moved her to have a seat while he did the same on the opposite side of the table.

"Try it." he told her coolly.

Sherry sat the cans down and looked at the 'cheeseburger'. A seeded bun, cheese, lettuce, and a beef patty were combined in one [among other condiments]. She picked it up with both hands and took a bite.

It was delicious.

She let out a satisfied hum as she chewed while Jake watched her, chuckling. "I take it you're enjoying it, _dolcezza_?" he asked with a grin and the response he got was a nod. Jake huffed and started to consume his food as well but passed her a few of his fries. "These are called fries. They're made from potatoes cut up and fried in oil. Try 'em."

The lovely blonde stuck one in her mouth and once again was delighted by the taste. "Wow…" she whispered with a sigh. "This is so good…"

Jake was observing her closely as she ate. She was amazingly erotic; the way she licked her lips and the sounds she made when she liked what she tasted – it made the hybrid wonder if she liked tasting things.

One thing he wanted to taste more than anything was _her_.

They finished eating and Sherry stretched, her eyes traveled to the cans. "What's in these?"

Jake opened one for her and held it to her lips, "Drink it." he instructed softly.

Sherry took the can from him and gradually started to sip. After consuming enough of it – she sat it down, "It tastes like oranges," she said with a giggle. "But it sizzles…? You better not have given me any alcohol." she narrowed her eyes playfully at the hybrid.

"I have no need to incapacitate you." he retorted, rising from the chair to tower over her.

The honey haired girl followed his example, looking up at him timidly as she moved away from her seat. Feeling a headache coming on, Sherry meekly excused herself from his presence to go to the bathroom where she blew her nose and washed her hands.

When she returned, she saw Jake lying on his bed in his usual position that he always relaxed into. She sniffed and went to her own bed with a roll of tissue in her hand. As soon as she slipped under the covers, another knocking came to the door. She groaned, forcing herself to sit up but before she could, Jake halted her.

"It's Burns, I got it."

The hybrid slipped on his jacket and opened the door to allow Steve inside.

"So, ya ready to go out, _Spettro_?" the tyrant leader grinned with elevated brows. "It'll be a blast – just you wait and see!"

"Where we goin'?" Jake asked dryly.

Steve stiffened and then started comically gesturing to the sick beauty on the bed behind his friend. "You sure ya want me to tell ya with her listening?" he whispered, sending her nervous glances.

Jake looked over his shoulder at Sherry and then back to Steve. "I already told you, she's a client – I work for her father."

"What are you two talking about?" She asked clearing her throat.

"Mind your business, Siren."

Steve shook his head and his once nervous expression returned to its normal cheeriness. "Well in that case – come on!" he turned on his heels and started for the door, "I'll be downstairs. Come join me when you're ready."

Once he was gone, Jake shut the door and looked to Sherry. She slowly smiled as he approached her, climbing onto her bed. The lovely performer leaned back until she was pressed against the pillows and forced to stare into the half-tyrant's icy orbs.

"What's the matter, siren?" he asked huskily, eyes searching her for something.

Sherry averted her gaze, her cheeks heating up drastically. "Um… are you going with him?" she asked.

"Why?"

"I mean, you've worked so hard keeping me safe and looking after me." Sherry wanted to silence herself but she couldn't; she sighed woefully. "Don't you think you deserve to go out and have some fun?"

Jake huffed, a smirk graced his features. "Don't worry about me, _dolcezza_. I'm perfectly capable of having fun here… with you."

He took that moment of appreciate her heavy lidded eyes, reddened cheeks and nose, and mouth slight agape – drawing his attention to her shiny pink lips. He licked his own as he contemplated pressing his against hers… She looked so perfect and they were finally alone…

_I could take her right here, right now… _

"Ah, that may be true but I-I think you should go today. I don't want you bored with me…" she joked though her intentions were sincere.

"What makes you think you bore me?" he asked, tilting his head to the side with curiosity. She smiled and reached for her cup of tea, "What's this? You actually heated yourself some more tea – using _electricity_?" Jake's eyes were comically wide as a grin crept onto his face. "Wow… way to go, siren!"

Sherry pouted with a frown, "I have to learn to do _something_ if I want to take care of myself. Even though it was weird – still I managed so yay me." she patted herself on the shoulder and was delighted to hear a short chuckle escape her companion. His eyes seemed less harsh when he was smiling… she liked that look on him.

_I want to make you smile again… _"But um this is what I meant," she continued, tracing the surface of her warm cup with her finger. "If you stay here with me, there's nothing to do but sit around…"

"Or we could finish what we started on the boat." Jake asserted once again.

"…please, I'm sick and have no energy."

"Or… You could come with me." he suggested.

She shook her head, "I need to stay here and nurse this cold so I can be in tip-top shape for the journey home. The more I stress myself, the less likely I am to shorten this."

He leaned away from her as if he were offended. "So… you want me to leave you here?"

Sherry nodded with a quick sniff afterwards, "I'll just stay here and do whatever I can to get better. You go on and have yourself some fun for once."

"Don't tell me what to do, siren."

"Please?" she pleaded. Her hand went into the dark of his hood where she cupped his cheek, she only felt his scar for a moment before he whipped away from her. She retracted her hand as if he burned it, "I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to –"

"Don't do it again." he said stiffly. She noticed his eyes had hardened once again and that discouraged her.

But still, she was curious. "How… did it happen?"

"Mind your business." He slid from her bed and went for the door but stopped, "You sure ya want me to go?" he asked without turning to her. "I mean, I could always stay here and give you some attention…"

Sherry's face felt hotter than ever but she giggled girlishly, sending him a look. "I'd rather gorge myself on chocolate." she trifled, sipping her tea.

"Chocolate?" he whirled around to face her. "There's no way that something like _that_ can bring you satisfaction better than my body can." he grinned, exposing the sharp fangs lining in his mouth.

He spoke those words to her as he was talking about the weather; a hint of humor but nonetheless, matter-of-factly. Sherry believed him – she knew he was capable of pleasing her… she could feel it.

She fantasized about him so often as being the aggressive type who would hurt her so good in bed; licking, biting and then whispering sweet words into her ear, asking her what she wanted from him but most of the time being so in-tune with her body that no words or questions even had to be spoken. He seemed like the type to be attentive and she was willing to bet he wouldn't stop working her over until she was completely numb from pleasure.

Sherry wanted him that way, she wanted to give him all of herself. But she refused to do that while she was sick – and moreover… she wanted him to like her – to want her not just physically but romantically…

She wouldn't submit to him until she had his heart like he had hers.

The blonde smiled to him, "Go on, _Spettro_ – I'll be here when you get back, I promise." she told him. "You know I can't sleep well unless you're nearby."

Jake stood there for a long time.

When he finally exited, Sherry patted herself on the back once again. _You're all mine, Jake. If you want my body, you'll have to give me your heart first._

And then she sneezed.

* * *

A/N: SORRY FOR THE LATENESS! I had exams and stuff and I'm working on a oneshot for a friend too but it's in need of proofreading. Thanks so much for all the reviews, favs and alerts. Also another special thanks to **aq****uacrow** for helping with translations once again – you're awesome! :)

Sooo Sherry's got a dark side…? Hmm, could it be this sweet girl isn't as innocent as she portrays herself as? Make no mistake, she's been trained by Claire to technically be a seductress… man, you guys/girls are gonna love the next chapter. Possible smut? I don't know… I think it's too early. ;)

Also there's more to be revealed about Leon and Steve.

Next Chapter Preview: _She'll do whatever it takes to attain her goal - to claim his heart and no less.__  
_

Please review! I love feedback! :D

See ya soon!

-Vio

Chapter 4 Translations:

Non ti muovere, sirena (don't move, siren)

Stai bene (you okay)

Dolcezza (sweetness)

Sirena (siren)

Piccolina (pretty little one)

Non ti preoccuparti sirena, andrà tutto bene (don't worry siren, everything will be alright)

Eccoli (Here they are)

Spettro (Shadow, phantom, ghost, specter)

Rilassare, mia cara (relax my dear)

Bella (beautiful)

Cazzo (Fuck)

Io mi occuperò di voi bella (I'll take care of you beautiful)


	5. Siren

Chapter Five:

**Siren**

_She'll do whatever it takes to attain her goal – to claim his heart and she'll accept nothing less. _

* * *

Over the next few days, Sherry began a steady recovery from her cold. Although her nose was periodically stuffy and itchy, she regained her voice and seemed to completely eradicate her coughs altogether.

Jake came and went frequently when Steve shown up – thus leaving her alone in the room for long hours but she didn't mind as long as he returned.

But a couple days after her cold lessened, Jake's appearances lessened as well.

Sherry woke up one night to an empty room. She hadn't seen Jake all day and was dumbstruck at his desertion. She wrote it off as nothing – hoping he would show up eventually but when he did, it was already two days later...

And worse… he carried the unmistakable odor of _brothel_.

With her heart heavy and full of doubt, she tried talking to him but he refused to even glance in her direction – let alone talk to her. He just brought her food and then disappeared.

As the second week arrived, Sherry felt nothing but despair. She was trapped inside the hotel room for over a week with nothing to do but read whatever book Rebecca was kind enough to give her. The only compensation for her isolation was that Leon was kind enough to leave his phone number for her one time he visited – allowing her to give him a call if he wasn't busy.

She missed Jake. The lovely blonde often sat in the bed, patiently awaiting his return only to be disenchanted by the hybrid's behavior. She didn't understand his motives for avoiding her like the plague.

Sherry gradually began to display a sort of sardonic and cynical attitude towards her hero. She wanted to yell at him, throw in his face how hypocritical he was – claiming they needed to maintain a low profile and yet he was constantly out and about, leaving her alone where anything could happen to her.

And worse, she felt… jealous.

The idea that her hero was receiving intimate attention from others just turned her stomach.

But what could she do about it? She was stuck here while he wandered wherever his heart pleased. At this rate, if she didn't do something she would be forgotten for sure…

She couldn't afford to lose him…

* * *

The day that started their second week on Sheena Island, Leon called with some good news about a gift he wanted to give her. Sherry was elated; a few days before, she'd written a letter to her father and Claire. It was being transported by a carrier pigeon Leon had owned for a while. Apparently it was well accustomed to going to and fro Raccoon and Sheena because they were brother colonies.

Sherry was expecting this gift the mechanic had for her to be a response from one of the two and waited patiently at the door for his arrival. She had written to Claire about her adventures so far, even her encounters with the crazy cannibals. She figured the older woman would get a laugh from her story for sure.

As for her father, Sherry made sure to let him know she was safe and expressed her hopes for his safety as well. She told him she loved him and was expecting to return to him soon… though this wasn't exactly the truth.

She deplored the moment she would be delivered back to Raccoon. Surely she would be locked away in the tower again, especially after her father hears of the dangers she and her escort encountered.

Though with Jake's recent attitude towards her, she wasn't sure she wanted to stick with him much longer… Everywhere they resided, he forced her to stay indoors and out of sight to avoid contact with others. What hurt the most was that he'd offered her some freedom to join him outside their first night in Sheena but ever since, he's been negligent.

Perhaps she was actually better off at home…

When Leon arrived, Sherry opened the door wide enough so he could haul in the tall wood box he had in his arms. Shutting the door behind him, she looked wide eyed at him and then the box. He chuckled, sitting it against the wall while he had a seat at the table nearby. She joined him and smiled eagerly, waiting for news.

"Well, where's the gift? Is it a response from Claire or my father?" she asked anxiously.

Leon took in some air, getting comfortable after his long trip over. He sent her a look of penitence, "Sorry sweetheart, nothing came through yet. Just give it some time and I know they'll respond." he said once she became crestfallen. "But hey, remember when you told me Claire was your mentor?"

"Yes." she replied, lifting her head.

Leon grinned as he reached for the box, "Well, for years now, Claire and I have been exchanging letters and she always talked about a very talented girl she was tutoring…" he laughed, "It didn't dawn on me until I searched for some old letters and found one where she was talking about a honey haired girl who performed very well, I'm sure she was talking about you."

Sherry cracked a wide smile, "Wow, that's so kind of her."

The champagne haired man opened the box in front of her very eyes and watched with cheer as her jaw dropped at what he brought her.

It was a guitar. A _metal_ guitar.

Sherry couldn't believe her eyes. "Wow, I've never seen a metal guitar before…" she said in awe.

"Actually it's steel but they're one in the same." Leon corrected with a chuckle. "Pretty cool isn't it? Well, I had some free time while ordering parts for the boat and decided to make polish this bad boy for ya. I used a regular guitar for a base but added some customizations to make it break less easily –"

"You made this for me?" she cut in with wide eyes.

Leon smiled, "Well it was already completed long before we even met but yep, it's all yours now kiddo."

With a squeal, Sherry snatched the instrument from Leon and put the strap around her. It was heavier than the one she had back in Raccoon – the one she smashed over that tyrant who was attacking Jake but it was still manageable. She guessed it was the steel reinforcement that made it heavier but she could still handle it, it didn't give her any agony.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said continuously, wrapping her arms around him.

The male laughed once again, "You're welcome." Once Sherry pulled away, resuming her seat – he continued, "Claire told me that her student was really good with the guitar and well, I'm sure you can handle it."

"Thank you so much…" she breathed again, admiring the instrument as he spoke to her.

"I originally made it for Claire but she said she didn't like guitar too much. She was an avid tambourine girl – well drum girl but they're quite the same aren't they?"

Sherry giggled, "Not really, but wow, Claire was able to play a lot of instruments… she told me she played the drums a lot but she said she did say that guitar was strangely her least favorite."

Leon nodded, "She always associated the guitar with people who are more… relaxed for some reason. I told her that guitarists can be hardcore but she said drums were louder." he shrugged. "You see, this guitar I'm giving you… it was originally going to be a parting gift for her. But she refused it, preferring to take the tambourines I made her."

"Why?"

"Claire loved getting on stage and wiggling around for the tyrants," he said shaking his head and earning another round of chuckles from Sherry, "She loved banging those tambourines against her hips. I made her some one day when I was bored and she kept those because they were lightweight. I couldn't possibly turn them into weapons because I feared she'd hurt herself. But I guess it doesn't matter much. Being pretty skilled with the knife, I know she can handle herself."

Sherry was impressed. "You make weapons out of musical instruments all the time?"

"I make weapons period." he told her. "Doing boat mechanics and what not is more so a hobby but weaponry is my real expertise."

"I know you'll put this guitar to good use, Sherry. You're a human girl surrounded by tyrants and you need something to protect yourself. Plus, _Spettro_ told me you wacked a guy with your last guitar and broke it so, I figured you'd love a stronger weapon to wield." he winked.

Her ears perked at that, "Ja – _Spettro_ told you that?"

"Yep," he grinned, "He talks about you quite often. I think he fancies you."

She sighed, sitting on the edge of her missing companion's bed. "I doubt that – he hasn't come here in a few days." she sent the man a pleading look, "Has he… been to _brothels_ or something?"

Leon's eyes widened comically, "Pardon?"

"You know, where ladies entertain men?"

This was awkward for him, she knew this but wanted answers. He let out a whistle, "Well Sherry, I wish I could tell you but I really wouldn't know. The only spots I go to are the pub, home or back to work."

"What happens at the pub?"

"There's lots of pubs around Sheena but the one I visit is simply drinks and small episodes of a little entertainment here and there so I really wouldn't know what he and Steve do elsewhere."

Sherry laid the guitar on her lap and began to trace along every accent it had, "Oh… thanks anyway."

Leon felt sorry for her. "Hey uh, why don't you play me a song or something?" he suggested. "Maybe that will cheer you up some."

She gradually smiled and nodded to him, "Okay," she took in some air. "Here it goes."

* * *

Jake followed Steve inside his office, assuming his usual spot in front of the desk. His nose was burning, just enough to impact his vision. Steve noticed his friend's distress and took a seat before voicing his concern.

"It's nothin'," Jake replied, "But I mean damn, do all of your girls have to smell like forty different animals?" he growled, pinching his nose in frustration.

Steve huffed, "It's a human girl thing. They like fake smells to seem more appealing but their natural scent is stronger than they realize. It always peeks out in the midst of all those toxic chemicals if you sort out the fake from authentic." he nodded feeling quite clever.

The hybrid snorted indignantly, looking towards the ceiling. "What's up with you, bro? The siren girl not treating you good?"

Jake glared darkly at him, "The hell are you talking about? I already told you she's a client – that's all."

Steve wasn't buying it. Jake was literally doing everything possible to avoid returning to Sherry. Whenever he so much as mentioned the girl, the half-breed would snap at him and maybe even storm off.

In fact, the reason they had come to his office was for the same reason. They had gone out gambling and when Jake was on a straight winning roll, a girl wormed her way over to him and started casually flirting. At first things appeared fine until Jake abruptly waved the girl off and told her to 'go screw herself'.

One of his bodyguards had teased the rejected girl that '_Spettro_' was already seeing a girl but Jake immediately blew a gasket and cursed him out. A fight almost ensued but Steve managed to pull the enraged hybrid away before he hurt someone.

This had been happening concurrently over the past week. Jake would encounter a very good-looking woman, she would hit on him and then suddenly he would snap on her and tell her to beat it.

He was dangerously erratic at times.

"If she's just a client, then why aren't cha enjoying the many other women begging to meet you?" he asked, a brow rose with curiosity.

"What makes you think it has something to do with her?" Jake quizzed back, haughtily.

Steve shrugged, leaning back casually in his chair. "I don't know… maybe because you go off on everyone whenever she's mentioned and further, whenever we go to the club, you just have a drink and then wanna make for the exit. Somethin's wrong with ya."

"I'm fine – and stop bringing her into this. It has nothing to do with her." Jake insisted with a snort. He relaxed in his chair, eyes wandering to the ceiling once again.

Steve shook his head, a grin plastered on his youthful features. "Okay, whatever you say, _Spettro_. So, you comin' with me to the club tonight again? There's a fine ass tyrant lady who wants to meet you…" he wiggled his brows suggestively.

"Whatever." Jake drawled, rising to his feet. "I'm gonna go practice with those _weapons_ of yours – I need to get used to this new weaponry, it could come in handy later."

"Aw come on," Steve whined exasperated, "You practice all the time! You keep training like a madman! It's like you're running from something…"

Jake whipped his head to his friend, "I ain't no damn coward, Burns." he snarled.

A sly grin inched onto the tyrant leader's face, "Then come out with me. You know you like the party scene and I'm serious – there's a hot tyrant girl who would love to meet ya! That is… if you're not interested in your _boss's baby girl_…?"

He growled, snatching the door open and storming out, "Fine! I'll meet you outside at midnight."

With that, he stormed off, slamming the door shut behind him.

* * *

Sherry finished her song and blushed prettily as Leon clapped dramatically for her. "Wow Sherry, you're amazing!" he cheered.

She lowered her head shyly, "Thank you… I learned from the best you know – Claire."

He nodded, "She was an amazing entertainer here." he fiddled with the slight stubble at his chin, "Hey, maybe you could try what she did?" he snapped his fingers at the revelation. "You could entertain people, get some extra money, and maybe even make a name for yourself here. I mean, if you want to that is."

Sherry's heart leaped in her chest. The idea of fulfilling her dream of performing around the world was flourishing in her mind as images of live concerts and loud music overwhelmed her. "You really think so? Oh my gosh… All I've ever wanted was to perform. This would be a dream come true!" she beamed, tearing up with emotions.

Leon laughed, "Of course you can. Tyrants love girls who perform…" He wrinkled his nose, "Of course, you'll need to lose some clothes…and that's the only thing I've always dreaded about it."

"That sounds great – um, what do you mean by that?" she inquired with dramatically raised brows.

He made a face, rubbing the back of his neck whilst at it, clearly uncomfortable with what he was about to share. "The best way to get to tyrants is the same way to get to any man. Lose the clothes and you'll gain attention." Sherry blinked… " –Of course, I'm against that for any woman but I'm merely stating a fact of this place. Claire gained her prestige by dancing around in short shorts, a cowboy hat, cuffs and a wet t-shirt."

Unlike the abhorred expression he was expecting, he received a smile from the blonde. "I believe you." Sherry said with a laugh.

"She was well-respected though," he added with a small simper, "Sheena tyrants love women who love themselves and their bodies. That attracts them – hell me too." he admitted sheepishly scratching at the back of his hair.

Sherry considered his words with a hum, "Is that why the women here wear short dresses, heels and pull their hair back?" she raised a brow, amusement etched on her features.

His response was aided by a nod of affirmation, "Claire captivated quite a many tyrants here in Sheena. She performed for quite some time but when she got to Steve, it all came to a close."

With a slight tilt of the head, Sherry leaned forward to ask him quietly – as if they'd be caught gossiping any moment now. "Did they fall in love with each other?" she probed a bit too excitably.

Leon held up his hands, almost falling out of his chair as he sprung away from her. "I can't answer that – only they understand how they feel for each other." he shook his head, "But I mean they obviously feel something. Whenever Steve hears her name, he just retreats away or demands she never be spoken of in his presence."

"If I even so much as ask about Steve, Claire quickly changes the subject." Sherry lamented, "It was hard to see him react that way when I mentioned her…"

"Ah I wouldn't worry about it. Tyrants are complicated people; no single one of them is the same as the last…"

Sherry smiled, "You seem to know quite a bit about tyrants," she said. "It's nice to see another human who isn't afraid of them…"

He chuckled, rising to his feet. "Yeah well, when you've dated a few tyrant women, you tend to learn the works."

"They don't mind if you date their women?" she was surprised at this.

"Eh, they get jealous but hey, I've been protected by a few girls so I don't care." he laughed heartily, "There's no shame in letting a woman be protective – as long as I'm still in charge of course."

Sherry rolled her eyes but was still humored by him, "So the tyrants… they never show you any rage or animosity?"

Leon made a face, looking to the ceiling before replying, "Not really; the truth is, most of the ones I meet treat me with respect. I mean sure, I've had a few tussles here and there but that was years ago and mostly about women."

"Why is that?" she pressed.

"I told you it's because of girls I –"

"No silly!" Sherry cut him off with a giggle but quickly sobered, "I mean, why is it that the tyrants don't bother you?"

He shrugged, "My guess – tyrants don't like how humans treat them. Since I treat them how they treat me, they don't mind me."

"So… do you think acceptance is what eases them?"

"Probably," he started for the door and Sherry got up to follow him, "Sorry Sherry but I have to go, I need to go ahead and finish working on this boat –"

"Leon, please I need you to do me a favor. If you could find out where _Spettro_ and Steve have been going these past few days, I'd like to know so I can arrange something."

"Arrange what?" his brows were elevated with interest.

"If they are at a club somewhere, I want to perform elsewhere so he won't get angry." Sherry gave a smirk that the sandy haired male wasn't aware she could present. "It's time I put the skills I learned from Claire to use."

* * *

The section of Steve's mansion that Jake ventured to was quiet and soulless. Jake was alone in this area; nothing in sight except a row of targets aligning the farthest wall. This room was the shooting range; it was where Jake had spent most if not all of his time when he was away from Sherry and Steve.

Steve had introduced him to a new type of weaponry that apparently humans were utilizing. As he put it, these weapons were once used before the great tyrant-human war and were quite threatening even against the mighty tyrants. Jake was abhorrent towards the technology at first but after wielding a weapon for a few days, he found it interesting.

The tyrant leader called them _**guns**_; weapons that discharged 'bullets' meant to penetrate through even the toughest armor.

The first gun Jake was introduced to was the 'nine-oh-nine' handgun – as Steve called it. Easy to wield and capable of firing rapidly, Jake enjoyed shooting the center of the target or blowing off the head of a mannequin no matter the distance with great accuracy. These 'guns' were much more efficient than a bow and arrow [another weapon Jake had used many years ago] and fired more easily.

Sure, it was a cheap means of warfare compared to good ole mano a mano, but he didn't care. If he encountered a human willing to try these weapons, he wanted to know just how to stop them and utilize them for himself.

Loud cracks rang out in the room as Jake emptied another clip from his new weapon. He grinned with fascination at the damage he'd done to the target. It was no more, even the wall had a devastating crater in it. He had exchanged the handgun practice for a much more powerful tool – a hand cannon, Steve called it a magnum revolver.

The hybrid enjoyed this kind of firepower. It had the same effect as an impact from his fist – but of course, it was weaker than he. Still, it could come in handy later on…

Jake pocketed the magnum and handgun into holsters he was given and relaxed against the wall, feeling less antsy and fired up… but at least he momentarily had erased her from his thoughts.

Whenever his thoughts wandered to the woman he'd been leaving behind in their room, he would quickly dispel them – adamant that he would think nothing of her until their boat was finished.

But that was easier said than done.

Every time he thought of her and pushed those thoughts away, the next were much more impossible. It was getting harder to keep his mind away from her but the more he tried, the more he was overcome with a flame within.

Something about that siren-like beauty was disorienting him.

He knew he made the right decision by avoiding her. And yet… it didn't help him. It only made things worse.

In the long century he's been alive, he had never encountered a being capable of entrancing him like she has.

He knew he was screwed the moment she started invading his _dreams_.

And over the past week, he couldn't _stop_ dreaming of her.

Most of them involved her running her tongue over every inch of his skin before stealing his lips. He would shudder when her small but delicate and soft hands would wrap around his length and stroke him ardently while nibbling his ear and caressing his taut frame with her malleable body. He would later pull her completely on top of him and kiss her breath away, indulging in the sensation of her breasts on his chest, her tiny waist when he circled his arms around her, and those wide hips of hers…

Jake would dominate her, nibbling her skin until she bled and he'd lick every drop that trickled down her pearly flesh. He often bit her buttocks or sucked her nether lips enough to frustrate her and make her beg for more. He would release breathy chuckles when she cried out – fearful but stimulated by the new sensations he would bring her. He would claim her as his own property and say to hell with the rest of the world.

Once she was dizzy and drunk from his endeavors, he would slide his impressive length inside her and hammer into her until she was screaming and hungry for more. She would crash into another world with his attentiveness and he would ride her weakened body until he was satiated too, and she would let him like the willing, sweet seductress she always was.

He would be lying if he said he didn't like those dreams… In fact, they were beautiful – in his opinion of course.

And then there were the more disturbing ones; these usually engaged them in no sexual contact whatsoever… yet she would give him a rose, sing him to sleep and cradle him close.

Those dreams scared him.

Both scenarios were wrong though. He knew it was disgraceful to take advantage of Sherry; her father was counting on him to return her to him without harm – surely that included screwing the woman's brains out and making her desperate for more of him being out of the question.

Not only that, but _she _had taught him to never engage in pursuits of lust. That better things were to come and physical satisfaction had nothing on spiritual connections.

Jake was filled with rage. He was conflicted over his own morals and his physical frustrations. He was angry at himself for allowing this siren-like woman to impact him so badly and he was even more infuriated that he couldn't act on his impulses…

He was also angry with her for being so damn wonderful…

Jake knew that once this mission was over, he would be returning to the normal life of sitting around the tower, watching over the city and counting the days before **that piece of shit man** tracked him down.

But he dreaded that.

He couldn't imagine waking up every day knowing that he wouldn't hear her voice, or be able to stare at that tight ass of hers. …And she was so damn lovely; her eyes like endless waters, hair like golden honey… he thought her skin was flawless even with the minute freckles along her cheeks.

She was beautiful.

_Damn Siren… _He lamented, lowering his head in shame.

He shouldn't let take over his thoughts like this. He owed William far too much to disappoint the man by stealing his daughter's innocence. And _she_ would be disappointed with him for sure.

Jake knew it was the wisest choice of action to simply avoid her.

As he sat there now, he imagined bending her over and stretching her open as he –

_I should go see what Steve's got planned… _

* * *

Jake came home later that night once again smelling like a brothel. Tonight, Sherry didn't say a word to him and he didn't say anything either. He came in, showered, changed into new clothes and left back out again.

A few minutes after his departure, Sherry responded to a knock at the door. Standing there was Rebecca and Cindy, both carrying bags with what was to be her attire for the evening performance at the pub Leon frequented.

"Okay so we've arranged your performance." Cindy said with a smile, "All you have to do is go do your thing and then we'll get you outta there before your identity is discovered or you-know-who picks up on something."

"Here," Rebecca handed the blonde a smaller bag containing a few perfumes. "Spray as much of that on as you can – it will numb tyrant noses so they can't identify your smell from any other. Oh and what are we supposed to call you again?"

"_Sirena_ – just refer to me as _Sirena_." Sherry told her with a ghost of a smile. "I hope you girls don't get in trouble with Steve for helping me."

Rebecca shook her head, "No need to worry. He told us to cater to whatever you wanted and didn't give specifics so I'm sure we're fine."

"And don't worry, Rebecca and I will be with you in disguise. You won't be alone so let's go out there and make sure you have a blast." said the chipper Cindy.

"You're right, let's get going before it's too late." Sherry said.

* * *

Jake mustered enough guts that night to return to the room. He hoped Sherry was asleep by the time he made it. The hybrid crept into the room, shutting the door quietly behind him and started for the bathroom when he noticed it was already occupied. He cursed – he simply wanted to shower, change and leave before she noticed him.

He didn't want to see her – not this late. During the evening was when his tyrant behaviors were at max and he had no doubt that if she came out of that bathroom, naked and dripping wet from her shower – he would throw her onto the bed and claim that tight little body of hers in a heartbeat.

Jake sighed and quickly went over to his bed, laying on the floor beside it where he was hidden from her view… and vice versa. He would wait there until she fell asleep and then finish his endeavor.

The bathroom door wafted open and he heard her humming a delightful song as she exited. At first, he was calm and enjoying the sound of her voice until he caught whiff of her smell.

It like she was calling to him – begging him to lay in a bed of roses with her and –

_Cazzo! _

He balled his fists, cursing vulgar words under his breath. His body trembled as he struggled to get control of himself. It was so hard to erase the fantasy when she was so close, so warm, so clean… ready for him.

His loins twitched.

Just as he was losing the battle, he heard her sigh and dial numbers on the phone. "Hi Leon… Sorry for calling so late."

And like that, all the building desire within went stagnant.

"No, no – _Spettro_ isn't here… and that's part of the reason I called." she continued softly.

Jake frowned deeply. _What the fuck is she doing calling that asshole?_

Maybe it was the heated need for her turning his brain into mush, but he was two seconds away from snatching that phone cord from the wall, snapping the device in two and leaving her there to cry in misery… or completely take her mind off Leon altogether by giving her the best night of her life – making his fantasies and dreams a bold reality.

_Fuck, get a hold of yourself…_

He was perplexed by his own fury – it wasn't like him to give a damn about some girl.

But Sherry wasn't some girl. She was the girl he was supposed to protect.

… the girl who didn't fear him.

… the girl who sang so beautifully.

… the girl who smelled of roses.

The girl he was dreaming about _every damn night_.

"I know Leon and thank you… but I was just calling to say goodnight." the distinct crack in her voice told the hybrid she was close to tears… "It's silly I know but… it's always nice to say that to someone. Thanks for everything, it helped a lot and I really enjoyed myself… goodnight."

_Enjoyed herself? What the fuck is going on?_

He heard the phone return to the receiver and then another sigh, "What can I do to make you mine…?" she wondered aloud.

Jake was thunderstruck. _She likes that human? … Well whatever, I don't care – she's just a girl and human girls are a waste of time anyway._

The idea of his beautiful siren being taken with a human enraged him. Hell, he would still be pissed even if it were a tyrant! She wasn't supposed to fall for anyone with him as her bodyguard…

He cursed everything then – the world, her, that bastard human, and himself.

Of all the crazy shit that rocked his world and perception of it, he never felt this damn bad.

He felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

* * *

A couple days later, Leon gave the news that their boat was nearing completion. Knowing his lifelong buddy would be departing soon, Steve decided to throw a party in his mansion, inviting Jake to attend of course. He also invited Sherry but was later told by Rebecca and Cindy that she was suffering from a mild headache and couldn't attend.

It was zero hour as usual when the party started. Jake walked into the grand hall and was met with a lively picture. The whole room was crowded with partygoers and it was dark but blue neon lights provided some illumination. There were two floors, the top was a balcony with dancing girls and the DJ along with guests mingling, and then the ground floor where the chairs, food stuffs and drinks where being served. Most were dancing on the ground floor but the second floor was just as busy.

Steve patted his buddy's back cheerfully upon seeing him, "Glad ya made it buddy!"

"Yeah…" Jake replied, studying the area and making sure he was properly concealed by pulling his hood down enough to cover his eyes.

"You ready to party?!" Steve beamed.

Jake shrugged and was dragged away by his friend not a moment later.

The tyrant leader set Jake up at a VIP table where he could drink as much as he wanted and already had a group of girls waiting for him. They frolicked to him instantly and pulled him to them where they could lay on him and touch him.

"Have fun buddy!" Steve chimed, migrating over to Cindy when she offered him a drink.

Jake was more than annoyed but remained apathetic to the women flirting with him. He was quite frankly ready to leave and just get back to Raccoon already – and this was so unlike him. He usually loved to party. He was the first to pop a bottle of champagne, pour it over someone and start a fist fight just because he felt like it. He wasn't much of a womanizer but he usually would flirt back with the girls and even tease them.

But not today…

Today, he wanted to be left alone.

He gazed up at the ceiling and noticed there were metal cages dangling above. They were like giant bird cages…

They reminded him of Sherry.

She was locked away in that room with nowhere to go and she wasn't feeling well either. Part of him was still angry and he wanted to say to hell with her – let Leon, her _lover_, take care of her and keep her company. He didn't care…

But somehow… he did.

The one thing she wanted more than anything was to see the world and yet she always ended up stuck in a room somewhere.

Jake knew what that was like…

_She_ often locked him away to hide him from his **father** when he was young…

Those were the worst days of his life.

And here he was putting Sherry through the same thing…

He wanted to go get Sherry and take her out for a walk around Sheena. He wanted to see her eyes light up again at the many sights and let her ask questions about how everything worked.

He wanted to smell her and run his hands down her curvy but slender form. He didn't give a damn if she liked that human guy – fuck that, he was going to steal her right from under him.

_William ain't gonna like that…_

_Fuck…_

Jake wasn't sure how much time had passed but after feeling some girl attempt to climb into his lap, he shunned her and told all of them to beat it. He was about to leave when he heard Steve call for him with a microphone. "Hey _Spettro_! We got a nice birthday surprise for ya! C'mere!" Steve waved him over with a grin.

The hybrid groaned and lethargically approached his friend on the second floor balcony beside the DJ. "What is it?" he asked short-patiently over the loud music.

"Okay, remember that girl that everyone's been talking about around city?"

Jake rolled his eyes; apparently some girl was a great performer and was making a name for herself rather quickly. _Big deal, Siren does that all the time. _He thought. "Yeah, yeah what about her?"

"Well you ain't gonna believe it but, she's here! She told Cindy she would like to perform!" Steve wrapped an arm around Jake's shoulder to point to the cage being drawn back to the farthest part of the room, in the darkest section where nothing could be seen. "She's gonna sing now so, I hope you like your present!"

He was not amused but figured he would stay just to keep his friend in high spirits.

Jake remained beside Steve and his minion, Cindy, as the woman announced the oncoming presentation. The crowds of tyrants below cheered with enthusiasm, eagerly waving their hands in the air. "Cheer up buddy," Steve said suddenly, noticing the tension in his friend's shoulders, "I'm gonna miss you too but it's not like we're gonna die after today!"

He was obviously clueless to the hybrid's internal dilemma.

The half-tyrant was zoning out but accepted the drink that Steve thrust into his face not an instant later. He downed the glass in one going but the introduction of the woman entertaining them nearly caused him to choke.

His eyes snapped in the direction of Cindy after she said the woman's name.

_Sirena_.

The cage moved out into the center of the wide space, inside of it was a strikingly beautiful specimen. Jake watched with his mouth agape as the woman, _Sirena_, started to sing – attracting all to her in an instant.

He was stiff as a statue, listening to her and his eyes studied her every attribute. She wore a pink masquerade mask to hide her identity but he could still see a pair of full pink lips to her face. Her short blonde hair was slightly curled though not much so. Jake's eyes danced over her curves; she was slender but had perky breasts supported by a pearl-colored sea shell bra with beads beneath the cups. Her small waist and toned stomach was revealed and the necklace she had around her neck glistened in the lights – it was long enough to ghost over the curve of her breasts and dwindle down to her belly button.

Jake played particularly close attention to her wide hips and the long transparent, sky blue skirt that hung loosely off of them. More jewels and beads accented the clothing there and he could make out the outline of her sex through that flimsy garment.

His loins twitched at this mysterious vixen – though she wasn't quite the conundrum as he was already sure he knew who she was.

What really sealed the deal was when she began a steady measure with the guitar she pulled from behind her.

Her song was romantic, dreamy, and put the bystanders into a trance. Even Steve had asked Cindy to dance with him but she polite declined, citing that she had a tyrant friend who was quite possessive.

Jake was amused when he saw the many other tyrants pairing up to slow dance – although there were quite a few that resorted to 'sexing' each other on the dance floor instead. Now that Steve was distracted trying to find a girl to dance with, Jake had no one to bother him. He focused solely on the beautiful, erotic woman performing in the cage above.

There was only one girl he knew that had such an enchanting voice, presence and beauty – his Siren; the woman who could bewitch tyrants in a heartbeat, captivating all except him because he knew just what she was.

_Sherry…_

As she sang, for the first time ever, Jake listened to every word she spoke instead of the sounds she made. He watched her sway her hips alluringly and sing lyrics of the provocative nature. She was talking about getting close, touching and whispering into her significant other's ears; she would tell him to give up his charade and give in to her charm.

Jake could hear her soliciting the man she was singing about into her arms. She would kiss him anywhere and sing him a song about them, she promised to leave the gushy stuff a secret from the outside world as long as he was willing to love her. He overheard her say that no one would have to understand their relationship but as long as they knew what pulled them together, nothing else matters.

She said, _I'll say whatever you want to know, I'll share my world with you in exchange for yours. That sensation you feel isn't because you're inside me, it's because we've met on a higher level – you gave me your heart and I gave you my body. That's why I called this song Captivate, because it's a song about just you and me – together, as soul mates._

He could see why the others were so taken with her… Everything seemed so natural with her, welcoming; the proposal of intimacy on higher levels than just intercourse, she insinuated that the connection between the mind and body would make everything much more stimulating…

To meet someone on a truly intimate level, build understanding and trust...

_It's just like what 'she' would say…_

"Siren…" he growled in his throat. "I'm coming for you."

He'd heard enough. He knew it was her – this _Sirena_ was his client, his sweet milk and honey Siren… _Sherry. _

An instant later, the entire room was in uproar of gasps of surprise, but cheers on the male's part.

Jake had leapt for the cage and clung to it.

A wide grin graced his hooded features when the woman, _Sirena_, visibly stiffened in shock by his actions. She quit singing and fell to her knees because the added weight caused the cage to sway to and fro. Jake chuckled darkly, reaching for her arm and pulling her closer to the edge of the cage where he could look even closer at her.

He was hit with an astounding amount of perfumes that almost knocked him dizzy but a single whiff of roses brought alerted him, his grip tightened as he recalled the words Steve told him before, **…**_**their natural scent is stronger than they realize. It always peeks out in the midst of all those toxic chemicals**__…_

It was her. It simply had to be.

He narrowed his eyes at her when their eyes connected.

In that moment, water met the coldest of ice.

* * *

"Siren…" he said deeply, huskily – his icy orbs unwaveringly on her. "_Cantami una cazone, la mia piccola…_" he whispered.

The _Sirena_ woman smiled softly and stroked his cheek through the bar before returning her attention to the guitar in her hands. She remained seated but continued her song where she left off.

Jake listened to her and felt particularly turned on when she leaned closer and sang into his ear. She spoke words of overpowering him and voiced her delight that he would submit to her for once, after that, she would be at his every command. She kissed his cheek when he leaned closer and he hummed before reaching to caress her exposed thigh.

She shuddered though she continued to sing, Jake inclined to try and kiss her lips – to taste her and get even closer to inhale that rosy fragrance of hers. She enticed him further by rubbing her nose against his and ceased her melodies to whisper into his ear, "_Voglio il tuo cuore_…" she cooed.

"_Desidero che ogni oncia di voi_…" he replied silkily, attempting to steal her lips again but she turned away – instead, he snaked him arm through the bar to fondle one of her breasts but she flinched away in surprise.

"_Che ti prende_?" he asked with a frown, "_Vieni qua_… _vorrei toccare_…"

She never got a chance to respond. A loud crack could be heard and a moment later, the cage begun to fall…

The tyrants below saw it coming immediately and each dived out of the way. The cage landed upright on the floor but the door opened up on the side, causing the performing woman to fall out onto the floor once it landed. Jake made a start for her but she was instantly surrounded by tyrants.

Jake was overcome with lust for her, he felt like he needed to catch her and he knew deep down that if he got to her, he was going to fuck her until her body could handle no more and he was free of his addiction to her.

His reasoning was tainted drastically, he could think of nothing but her and wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted.

The unstable feelings resonating within caused a boiling rage to hit the hybrid once he was blocked by security personnel from advancing any further.

With a roar, he started to fight.

Steve saw the commotion and came to assist his friend as well as restrain him. Tyrant wails sounded out in the room and Jake unleashed his roar to frighten them off and let him after his target but instead he was further subdued as per Steve's request. Jake watched with eyes clouded by lust and rage as _Sirena_ was led away quickly by Steve's minions, Cindy and Rebecca.

To the tyrant leader's dismay, Jake threw some of his guards and made another quick progression on the performer he was anxious to have removed. Thinking on his feet, Steve came over to reason with his friend.

"_Spettro_, what the flying fuck man?!" he shouted, furious and concerned that his party was turning ugly, fast.

"Shut up! Let me go!" Jake roared, fangs displayed for the world to see though his hood was luckily still hiding his identity. "Bring her to me! _Bring her to me!_"

Steve was shocked by this level of madness and knew he had to do something or else the woman would probably be destroyed when he got to her. Steve got as close to him as he could and whispered into his ear: "You better calm down before everyone sees you, dammit!"

At first it seemed it didn't help, but the copper haired tyrant felt a sense of relief when he saw his friend gradually start to relax. He let out an exasperated sigh and waved his guards off, they slowly released the raging half-breed and Steve put a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, she's gone now. No need gettin' all fired up anymore okay? Now come on, let's finish this party!"

* * *

Cindy and Rebecca practically pushed Sherry into the room and started to help her undress, all the while they were cheering and congratulating her for performing so well. "Girls, wait!" this caught their attention as they stared wide eyed at her. "You have to go before Jake gets here and realizes it was me!" she started for the bathroom, frantically ripping the remnants of her outfit off.

Rebecca sighed and walked over to grab the taller woman by her forearms. "Sherry, you have to relax. I'm sure Mr. _Spettro_ has no idea that it was you."

Sherry was dumbstruck, "What? But he called me _Siren_! He knows – he just has to know it was –"

Cindy giggled, clearly humored by the shorter blonde's worries. "Sherry, you told us that _Sirena_ was Italian for siren; well, Mr. _Spettro_ is Italian so of course he would know the translation. Besides, you said you would speak only Italian with him to deter him from thinking it was you right?"

Sherry faltered, feeling her nerves try to let up, "I… I did."

"So you have nothing to worry about. Plus, it's not like he could smell you with all those fragrances you wore." Rebecca added. "The icing on the cake is that tyrants aren't really the thinking type, Sherry. They act solely on physical needs so I doubt your companion was able to pick up on anything or put two and two together."

Sherry smiled softly and thanked the girls, almost hugging them both but stopped when she remembered she was entirely nude. With a blush, she covered herself and averted her gaze. "I'm going to shower. You two better get back before Steve notices he's short some staff." she humored.

Once the two left, she leaned against the door and sighed tiredly. She picked up the bag containing her costume and trotted into the bathroom where she hid the sack under the sink and started the water in the shower.

While the water warmed up, she went through the clothes Rebecca and Cindy left her for the week. She brought some items into the bathroom and shut the door.

* * *

After taking a long shower, Sherry finally was at ease. She wrapped a towel around herself and peeked out the bathroom door to see if Jake had returned.

She was alone.

The realization caused her to stomach to knot up. She was sort of hoping that Jake would have known who she was and returned to finally be with her… but it seemed that wasn't the case.

If Rebecca and Cindy were right, then that meant Jake wasn't attracted to her – but he was attracted to _Sirena_…

She sighed woefully and started to dry off. She really didn't know how to feel about any of this. Knowing that Jake really didn't recognize her and instead was completely taken with _Sirena_ was discouraging.

_Now I've really lost him… _She thought despairingly.

She then started to rub all over with some unscented body oils she was given by Cindy, combed her damp hair out and brushed her teeth. She slipped on a pair of string bikini panties and followed up by putting on the fitted strapless top that matched.

The whole set was solid green satin with pink embroidered flower patterns along one side of the shirt. There were slits along the sides that stopped at her waist and exposed the panties beneath – the lace around the panties was pink like the embroidery.

She was just about to straighten up the bathroom when she heard a rustle from inside the room…

The demure entertainer cautiously peeked out into the room, scanning the area, on the lookout for anything suspicious. On first glance, she saw nothing unusual – everything was as she left it. Stepping all the way inside, she glanced around more extensively and finally concluded she was actually alone. The sound must have come from the next room over.

Whirling back into the bathroom, she shut the door this time, locking the latch on the knob just in case. With a hum, she almost went back to her previous endeavor…

…but something caught her eye on her immediate right…

Turning her head slowly, Sherry's heart stopped.

The figure standing beside her had cold, icy hues that pierced through her soul.

* * *

Everything happened so fast.

Sherry screamed as Jake thrust his body against her, pining her to the wall with his hand over her mouth. "No – stop!" she shouted into his palm but her plea fell on deaf ears. He proceeded to invade her personal space and groped her anywhere with his free hand.

She started to fight him. Swinging her left fist into the side of his head, he barely seemed to flinch. Frightened, she tried pushing him away but he didn't budge, his hand somehow grabbed both of hers at once and pinned them above her head as he stared intensely at her.

The blonde had never seen such a scary look to his eyes before. There was fire to them, his brow was heavily creased and those icy orbs bore into her as if he wished her immediate downfall.

_Oh my God… he's going to kill me!_

Sherry kicked at him and when he went to block her, instantly, her hand came up and she backhanded him in the face. This caused him to stagger backward…

Thinking she had made her point [that she wasn't going down without a fight], she was taken aback and watched with despair as the sickest smirk crept onto his face.

He liked it.

_Is he enjoying this?_

"W-What are you doing?" she asked fearfully, shaking her head, "P-Please stop –"

She was tackled to the ground.

The struggle commenced as he slipped between her legs, pinned her hands above her again and planted his palm over her mouth. He grinned like a deranged lunatic who just caught his prey – he was ready to skin her and turn her into a trophy for his own future reference. A dark chuckle escaped him as she kicked and her muffled screams were revered by him.

"That's right, fight me Siren… I like it." he said and his words chilled her to the bone. He wasn't hurting her, he was toying with her – he obviously wanted her to put up a fight…

Her mind was screaming in fear of this insanity, the absurd predicament he was putting her in but contrary to that, her body was savoring the feel of him on her – so warm, so strong…

…It turned her on.

He was a madman and she was intrigued by it.

Until he leaned down and started to lick her.

She gasped and fought harder to escape him. Nothing was working – he continued licking around her neck and sucking on her skin. She knew if she didn't break free soon, he would completely overcome her.

Seeing only one way out, she bit down hard on his hand, causing him to unleash a frightening growl. She managed to push him off though he didn't go far. He kneeled there while she stumbled to her feet, pressing her back to the wall.

Her heart pounded loudly in her chest as she watched him stare unstably at his hand as it bled. Sherry tried to run past him but he would reach out in front of her and block her path each time. Picking up some nerve, she made a leap into the bathtub to escape him but he snatched her up instantly, wrapping her in the shower curtain and trying to hold her close.

Instinctively, she grabbed the shower rod and used the one free arm she had to swing at him but missed and instead knocked the faucet off the sink sending water flying everywhere. To her luck, the water sprayed into Jake's face and she had a moment of freedom.

"Son of a bitch!" he cursed, shielding his eyes with his arm.

She quickly started for the door and succeeded in removing the lock but Jake grabbed her by her waist and practically slammed her back into his front. She cried out and kicked out of his grip but once her feet touched the floor, she slipped on the water and fell forward – only to be saved by the mad hybrid's arm scooping under her to break the fall. Sherry's throat was burning and she felt hard at breathing – fear overwhelmed her as she attempted to slide out of his grip once she heard him turning the shut off valve on the faucet to stop the water.

"Let go of me!" her voice failed her, it was barely a whisper and she was now temporarily blinded by her own hair now that it was wet and clinging to her face.

He ignored her plea once again. She struggled to get away but was shocked when he started to arch her back while his other hand hooked and tried to remove her bottoms. "No!" she yelled forcefully, ramming her elbow backward and it collided with his cheek.

The sound he released was enough to make her want to give up and cry – it was horrendous and so terrifying she couldn't even describe it, but she wouldn't quit. She didn't want him to hurt her like this! She did nothing wrong!

While he recovered, Sherry snatched the door open but was brought back down to the floor when he grabbed her leg. She kicked him away and made a run for the door but he tackled her to the floor.

He flipped her onto her back and restrained her instantly.

"Someone help –" she tried to cry for assistance but his hand covered her mouth as he stared at her with stony eyes.

She was now hopelessly pinned beneath him and felt unbelievably weak.

Sherry cried helplessly as Jake leaned down closer to her ear…

"Relax, Siren. You've done enough." he purred, kissing her sensitive earlobe.

She had never been so frightened in her entire life…

"_Mi sento pazzo_…" he whispered, dropping his head into her bosom. She remained perfectly still. She felt his puffs of air on her skin before he tenderly kissed her there and sighed… "_Perché? Perché siete così meraviglioso_?"

His hand slid from her lips and he shifted to hover above, he stared down at her, studying her every attribute. Sherry steadily took in air, in and out to calm herself. Jake brushed the hair blocking her eyes away…

"Please don't hurt me…" she whispered whilst still weeping.

To her surprise, the heavy lidded look to Jake's eyes suddenly disappeared. They widened dramatically – as if he'd just woken up from a nightmare. He immediately slid off her.

Still terrified, Sherry bolted for the bed, slipping under the covers all the way up to her neck – like she was hoping she'd disappear into the sheets. Jake removed his jacket, throwing it to the floor with a huff. Sherry saw the damage she had done to him; there was a slight bruise on his lower jaw and she could see he was still bleeding on his hand. He paced the floor in front of her bed to point she felt dizzy. Until, he stopped abruptly, his head snapped in her direction.

She said nothing, fearful of his erratic behavior. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes at her, "Did you really think I wasn't going to recognize you?" he scoffed, his breath shaky, "You're a fool, Siren."

_So he knew… he actually recognized me… _She felt a wave of relief; Jake knew it was she who enchanted him and that made her feel… special. Sherry laid her head back onto the pillow and sighed, "I figured you would… but I wasn't… expecting that you would react like this…"

"Like what? Like a man whose been seduced by a temptress who thinks it's okay to play mind games?" his nostrils flared as his anger peaked. She sat up quickly, startled by his rage. "All this time you've been running around putting on a fuckin' show for people and didn't tell me shit. To make matters worse, you tried to disguise yourself like I wouldn't figure you out. Like I can't fuckin' smell you!"

She was flabbergasted but offended by his tone, "What do you expect? I'm tired of sitting up in here while you frolic around with Steve. Why am I so wrong for performing – doing what I've always dreamed of? You're out fooling around with lord knows who and you want to fuss at me about doing a show?"

Jake's eyes darkened but she didn't back down, "You don't what the hell you're talking about _temptress_. I ain't foolin' around with no damn body and you got your nerve considering you're so lovey dovey with that blonde pretty boy – so don't you dare judge me."

"Are you talking about Leon? Oh my God…" she shook her head, "At least he's nice enough to come visit me and talk to me! You haven't been here in days because you're too busy chasing skirts! Now you leave him alone!"

"Oh that's a cute excuse! Trying to make it out like you're so innocent when you're calling him all times of night! And don't worry about what I've been doing dammit, I'm the boss here because your ass is my responsibility – so don't fuckin' question me!"

Sherry snapped, "Maybe I'm calling him because I want someone to talk to! Maybe I wanted to talk to you but I can't because you're too busy looking for other women while I rot in this room alone!" she quivered with anger and tried to control her emotions as they started to get the best of her. "Luckily there are actually some nice people here who don't mind helping me out because it certainly wasn't you! In fact, if you hadn't seen me performing tonight, you wouldn't be here now! Instead, you'd still be out there and then you'd come back here smelling like some whore!"

Jake looked ready to pounce, "Whoever I decide to fuck is my business, Siren – whether I'm gettin' some or not shouldn't concern you." he growled darkly.

Sherry felt sick – now he was rubbing it in… "So I guess that's why you've been avoiding me. Here I was thinking that maybe you actually did care about me… I thought you were different from the other tyrants. But I guess I was wrong – all this time you were never thinking of me. That was your penis doing all the thinking for you."

Silence enveloped the room.

Sherry didn't dare look at him, she was shaking all over – anticipating the moment he would leap and snap her neck for insulting him.

"You know, you are some piece of work." he said suddenly. She lifts her head and noticed he had his back to her as he heaved unsteadily – he was angry, she could feel it. "You just don't get it. You have no idea…"

"W-What are you –"

"A man that I owe a shitload of respect entrusted me with his only daughter… Your dear ole dad asked me to take care of you – I'm sure the last thing on his mind was for me to bang you. What kind of message am I sending the dude if I do that? I'd break his fuckin' trust – and that's fucked up, ya know?"

He sighed, "If I didn't have a damn conscious like you think, I would've fucked you in that damn bathroom in a heartbeat. Hell, I was gonna! But I stopped myself..." he put his hands on his hips and gazed to the ceiling, "You have no idea how fucked my mind is right now and you got the nerve to talk about a damn conscious! Well, why the _fuck_ didn't you think about _me_ before you started playing mind games?"

He turned to her and she felt like trash. His eyes weren't ones of anger or malice… he looked genuinely hurt by her words. "Did you ever stop to think about the consequences of seducing me, Siren?"

Sherry grimaced and then hugged herself, "I-I'm sorry –"

He scoffed, "Sure, I ain't a full-blooded tyrant and yeah, we do react on impulse – it is a part of us. But like humans, no two tyrants are the same and not one of us is better than the other because we're all different. I do have a damn conscious. I do think about shit – too much even."

He neared her and sat on the edge of the bed, "I have a moral obligation to your dad, _Sherry_." he sneered, "That man's gone out of his way for me and I think I owe the dude enough respect that I won't bang the shit outta his daughter." he grit his teeth, "But I feel like I'm going fucking mad because I…" he looked away.

_Because you want me… _

The beautiful blonde lowered her head in shame. "That's why you've been avoiding me…" She was disgusted with herself. _He wasn't fooling around at all – he was avoiding me out of respect for father… _She cradled a pillow to her chest and said: "I'm so sorry…"

He looked at her, "For what…?"

When her shoulders quivered, he knew she was close to tears. "This is all my fault." Her hands covered her face as she broke down. "Y-You're right to call me a t-temptress because it's true. I did w-willingly seduce you…"

Jake scooted closer, "So… you admit it?" he inquired hoarsely.

Sherry nodded, "I am not as innocent as you think... " she sniffed, "I have these feelings deep within me – they aren't as pure as I'd like them to be and I try to bury them but they won't leave… I purposefully performed tonight to get your attention…"

Jake gently pries her hands from her face, grasping her with incredible tenderness. He tried to look her in the eye but she continued to sway away from him. "Why?" he asked.

She never raised her head, "I couldn't bear the idea of you getting attention from someone else."

His hand lifts her chin so he can gaze into those tear soaked eyes of hers, "All this time… you've planned this for a guy like _me_?"

She wonders if he doesn't believe he deserves such attention… _You're my hero, Jake._

She sniffed again, "Yes, you kept coming back smelling like _brothels_ and I… Oh gosh, I feel like a heartless enchantress… What kind of woman leads a man astray from his morals…?" she buried her face into her palms again.

To her amazement, he pulled her into his lap, drying her tears with his thumbs. "Hey… you ain't all bad."

She nuzzled her face into his shoulder, hiccupping and sobbing like a child, "But I seduced you! I'm an _evil, wicked temptress_…" she whimpered.

Jake frowned. "Cut it out already, you're not evil or wicked… just _sneaky_." he chuckled shortly, running his fingers through her hair to cup her face.

"Why aren't you upset?" the beautiful blonde was completely befuddled by his indifference.

He studied her puffy eyes and pink nose before saying: "Because I've known all along that you were a siren," he grinned widely, "I was just waiting for the moment when you would fess up to your true nature."

Sherry was dumbfounded… "You… you pretended to be distraught? …You tricked me?!"

He shrugged, "I knew eventually you'd make your move on me, but I wasn't expecting your motive to be jealousy over a misunderstanding – I thought you were doing it just to tear me down but I guess I had you all wrong too, huh? It's funny though," he chuckled, "I actually outsmarted a siren. That in itself is an accomplishment!"

She rolled her eyes but buried her face into his nape and sighed, "I promise you that my intentions are pure, I just went about things less than purely. I won't let anything happen to you and I won't do anything to harm you. You're my hero and… I think a hero deserves a reward for his hard work."

"Still flirtin' huh, Siren?"

She blushed all the way to her ears, "Ah, I'm sorry it's –"

"Don't worry about it. I really don't care anymore."

Sherry's eyes widened, "You don't?" he shook his head, "Why not?"

"...Mind your business, Siren."

She couldn't believe her ears but smiled genuinely and hugged him though she didn't receive it back. "I'll be good to you, I promise." she whispered. _Will I ever understand you Jake?_

"Just don't ever do that again, unless you're willing to deal with the consequences."

Sherry smiled and slid from his arms to lie back onto her bed. She blushed more as he stared down at her. _**No tyrant is better than another and no tyrant is the same as the next… Tyrants are complicated people; no single one of them is the same as the last… **_"Do you dream?"

He sent her an odd look. "Dream?" he echoed huskily, causing her to shiver a bit.

She nodded with a hum, "Yes… when you fall asleep at night, do you see scenes play out in front of you that you're either a part of or just a witness to them?"

Jake made a sound in his throat similar to a rumble, his hand stretched out to caress her naked thigh and she felt heat pool between her legs but didn't move to stop him. "You mean when I fall asleep do I see things that play out like those images you saw on the TV but they actually have color?"

"Yes, very much like that."

"Then my answer to that is yes. I do dream." he leaned down and kissed her skin.

Sherry gasped softly, shyly – she sat up on her knees to scoot closer and gaze into his eyes. "What are _Hybrid Dreams_ like?" she asked with childlike innocence.

He smirked, "I think they're quite like yours."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, "Sometimes I dream about humans and tyrants living together in peace. In fact, being here on Sheena Island has renewed my faith in that…"

"You still believe in that nonsense?"

"Yes, because if you and I can both dream, what else do we have in common?" he was quiet so she continued, "I'm sorry about earlier. I know you're different but we don't talk much so I…"

"Don't mention it." he said.

With a smile, she moved on. "Sometimes I dream about falling in love and getting married…" she didn't dare admit that she dreamed about him, she felt too shy. "Do you believe in love?"

He huffed, shaking his head. "Believing in love is a waste of time, _bella_. Trust me, love has long since been dead to the world."

She bit her lip and reached for his hand to cradle in both of hers. "No it isn't," she shook her head violently. "Love is real; it is a natural emotion between family, friends and of course… lovers." she scooted even closer to him while he looked everywhere but at her. "I love my father, Claire…I even love…" _I love you, Jake. I love you with everything I have…_

For a moment, he glanced her way but just as quickly his gaze was averted."Tch, whatever." he scoffed.

She sighed, stroking his hand delicately, noticing the bite marks were still present but the bleeding had ceased. "I hope we never have an encounter like this again… I hate that I did this."

"Why? I liked it." He raised a brow, giving her a sideways gander.

With a blush, she took her other hand and caressed his cheek where the bruise was. "I want to give myself to a man who loves me..." she said dreamily, pulling away from him to fiddle with her fingers. "That is my hope. That one day I will fall in love with a man who loves me back and it will be him that has me – body and all." she looked at Jake with such passion and hope that it disturbed him.

"You're… joking right?" he slightly inclined his head and raised a brow.

She shook her head. "No, I'm serious. I don't want to be anyone's fling… I want to be loved… I deserve to be loved, don't you think?"

The response to that went unsaid as Jake looked away from her, but she could feel his lingering question.

_But what if I can't love you…?_

_One day you will, even if I have to work my hardest, I'll claim your heart Jake…_

_Because you deserve to be loved too. _

* * *

Jake and Sherry followed behind Leon as they headed towards their destination. He led them through the outskirts of the city to the back door on the outer gates. It was guarded by two large burly tyrants who willingly let them out. Steve, who had been going over some safety protocol with others involved in border patrol, had completed his task and was eager to join them on their short campaign before they took off.

The group kept a straight path through a clear road in the dense forest until they came to a stop by a peculiarly eerie weeping willow tree. Large, overcome with thick green moss, with drooping branches, it's a good distance away from a cliff in the distance. Leon went to a small brush of bush nearby and pushed it away to reveal a lever. Once pulled, a large square patch of dirt was uprooted gradually raised to reveal a set of concrete stairs beneath that descended further down into the earth.

"A secret door?" Jake humored with a raised brow, "It's gotta be something big down there."

Leon waved the statement off with a grin, "Nah, I just don't want anyone bothering me when I come to my work station and this is a good spot for it, ya know?"

Steve made a joke about Leon always inventing things because he's still single, earning a laugh from everyone except the talented mortal. Eventually Leon escorted them all down. The passage was narrow and dimly lit by a series of lanterns dangling from the ceiling. The walls around them were concrete and the strong aroma of wood and oil filled the air.

A flight down the stairs, a button was revealed on the wall. Leon pressed it, closing the opening off behind them. The descent wasn't a long one but they finally stepped onto a wood platform and proceeded from there to another cluster of wooden stairs and finally a room.

Leon stepped farther inside and flicked a switch, the entire room lit up as the other three looked around. It was a small niche, littered with tools and other mechanical items scattered about the area. The walls were lined with tools, and strewn across the floors were miscellaneous scraps of metal and nails among other things, a lengthy wood table was in the center of the room and had more tool parts and things and the counter tops around the walls were also covered.

"Been workin' hard, eh Leon?" Steve noted.

"Yep, but it's finally complete. Don't worry about all this junk, I've been busy with something else is all. Come on, follow me this way."

They followed him through a nearby door and met with the inside of a cave when they stepped out onto the metal staircase. To their right was a pathway adorned with rocks glistening wet from water and on their left was a massive steel door gate. Leon pointed them to the rocky passage and they trailed behind him.

Large puddles of water were at their feet as they stepped, their shoes echoed in the quiet dark of the cave – the luminance of blue came from somewhere and added to the beauty of its scenery and the scent of sea water filled their nostrils.

"What's behind those gates, if you don't mind me asking?" Sherry inquired, glancing sideways at Steve.

"Before us 'big bad tyrants' took over, the humans who lived here used that area as a prison." he answered.

"Really?"

"Yep, but once they ran from us and hid there, we found them and I'm sure you know how the rest of the story went."

Sherry bit her lip, "Of course…"

"However," Steve continued, "We've turned the place into an underground sanctuary of sorts. It's our go-to place whenever the sun decides to shine on the island – pretty much we're always underground during the spring and summer. But winter and autumn, this place is sealed off."

"Wow, an entire town under the city… that's interesting." Sherry mused, gazing around the cave.

"Yeah, this place has all the same merits as the surface. We got electricity, waterways – the works. You can imagine how happy I was to take the job as mayor of this joint." Steve said haughtily.

Jake barely spared him a glance, "So, when did **he** assign you the job?" he asked lowly.

Steve took a minute to answer but abruptly turned to Sherry with an odd smile to his face, "Siren, is it? How old is Claire now?"

Sherry almost tripped, caught off guard by the question. "U-Um, she's 25… why?" She stuttered. She noticed Leon gander over his shoulder at her for only an instant…

The tyrant leader stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Let's see… she was 18 when she left… And I was in charge a few years before she came around… I think it's been about a good 11 years ago, why ya ask buddy?"

"When we first came here, we found a small settlement that seemed like it was just recently vacated."

"Oh that? Yeah, humans come through quite often but when they find out we're the inhabitants, they frolic away like cowards."

Leon cut off the conversation, "We're here."

They reached the opening of the cave. The scent and sound of sea water filtered around them. They could see the outside, the waters calmly waving about to and fro, the skies cloudy but rainless and bird calls could be heard in the distance. Once they came to the edge, they saw a wooden bridge and finally, their boat.

It was a steel two leveled trawler boat. The bottom was a solid dark color with a white finish along the top floors. Leon led them to a ladder they could climb onto to board the boat. The floors along the deck were wooden and a set of chairs was along the back end. They entered the pilothouse and Steve whistled at the electronics and computer GPS systems at work inside.

"You really fixed this beauty up didn't cha?!" he said with appreciation, patting his friend on the back.

"Yep, it was tough work but she's in mint condition." Leon nodded proudly.

Jake took a long gander at the machines, the wheel, navigation displays and more. He was quite impressed too, "This thing's got GPS and navigation…" he marveled, watching the GPS at work already.

"Yeah, she's a top-notch powerboat. 59 feet long, high-power generator, hot water tanks, 4 staterooms – well bedrooms, a galley, salon, two bathrooms with showers – the rest of the works." the sandy haired male shrugged, "I figured we're gonna be out at sea for close to a week so we need space, comfort and other stuff."

"Wow…" came Sherry's voice from below. She had gone down the staircase nearby and entered the galley and salon. A blue microfiber L-shaped couch wrapped around a round table and behind it was the kitchen, a completely wooden décor but with chrome appliances. "This boat is magnificent!"

Steve sighed, glancing at Jake with a weary smile, he nodded while making a face. "I guess I better get the minions packing your stuff so you can head on out."

Jake made a gesture of acknowledgement, seeing his friend off not a moment afterwards. Leon hopped into his seat behind the steering wheel and pressed a few buttons to start the trawler up. Just then, Sherry came from the lower floor and approached Jake with distress etched on her beautiful features.

"What's wrong, Siren?" he asked quite lethargically when she seized the sleeve of his jacket.

"I left my locket back in the room…" she muttered. "I need to go get it."

"Why? It's just a trinket." Jake deadpanned irritably.

She frowned, "It's not just a trinket. It's a gift from my mother and it means the world to me." she whirled around and opened the door, stepping out onto the deck. "I'll go get it and be back here in no time."

Jake rolled his eyes, following behind her. "You're not goin' alone, babe." he scooped her into his arms. "Come on, if I carry you we can get this damn necklace or whatever and be back quicker."

Sherry smiled and relaxed in his arms, "Thank you."

Glancing back at Leon, Jake gave him a short nod and received another in response before leaping away.

* * *

Leon busied himself by checking the fuel tanks and other means, doing a mental checklist before confirming once again that they were good to go. Some time had passed before Steve returned with Cindy and another girl with shoulder length blonde hair and bright chocolate hues to go along with her youthful features. Both were carrying boxes full of items.

"Oh hey Ashley." Leon greeted with a wave, spinning his chair around to them.

"Hey yourself!" she replied with a grin. "You promised you would take me shopping so I could find a nice dress last week and you never shown up!" she pouted.

Leon chuckled, slouching forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "I had work to do kiddo, but tell you what, when I get back from Raccoon, I'll take you shopping so you can find a dress, okay?"

Ashley clapped her hands with glee, nearly dropping the box of clothes she held of Sherry's things. "Ahee… sorry." she sang sheepishly, gathering herself. "I appreciate that, uncle!"

He wasn't actually her uncle, but she thought of him that way.

As the girls went down the stairs to leave the boxes in the salon, Steve looked around, "What happened to _Spettro_ and the siren girl?"

Leon stood and stretched out his arms, "Sherry had to get something so he took her back to their room to get it. They should be back here in a bit –" He stopped abruptly, eyes wide as he saw something land on the wood bridge outside… "What the…?"

He sprang into action, racing off the boat and leaping from the deck onto the bridge, advancing quickly on the specter. Steve followed him in a quick flash while Cindy and Ashley emerged from the lower level and with curiosity, went to join them – Cindy helping the younger girl down from the higher levels as they progressed.

"Is that…" Steve studied the frail but heavy ball of feathers in the mechanics hands. "Is that your carrier pigeon?"

Leon slowly rose to his feet after kneeling at its side to pick it up; he examined the bird quietly with brows heavily furrowed. Ashley and Cindy finally arrived and stood beside their boss with wide eyes. "What happened, sir?" Cindy asked glancing back and forth.

"Dunno… Leon, what's goin' on?"

"Is the bird okay?" came Ashley's question.

At last, Leon released a sigh of relief and turned to them, "Yes, he's fine… just injured by something… looks like his back's scratched."

Steve closed in, sniffing the animal. "Gun powder." he said shortly.

"Gun powder?!"

He nodded, "He's been shot at." he took another whiff of the bird. "He made it to Raccoon though, I can smell the woodlands on him."

"Poor birdie…" Cindy lamented, cupping her hands at her chest.

Steve caught sight of a small note on the bird's collar and pointed it out. "What's that?"

Leon pulled the minute sheet of paper from the collar around his pigeon's neck. He unfolded the paper and scooped the pigeon into one palm as he read it. When his jaw dropped, Steve immediately demanded an answer.

"Claire says that Raccoon was recently invaded by a group of people."

Steve's blood ran cold. "W-What?"

The sandy haired mechanic visibly was vexed as he continued, "She said they took the mayor with them when they left, they left chaos in their wake."

"The mayor? You mean the siren girl's father?" Steve was floored. "Is – Is Claire alright?"

Leon continued to read, "She said she's fine, she's taken refuge with a few tyrant friends but Raccoon is in trouble without the mayor. She goes on to tell Sherry to be careful… there's a smudge here I can't read because of the injury from my bird… the blood got on it."

"Oh my God…" Cindy gasped.

"Who invaded the town? And why? Does she say anything about it?"

His eyes quickly scanned the paper, making out some more words out of the blood smudge. All I can make out is something about the tyrant overlord… and some group called _The League_…?"

Cindy and Ashley watched with fear as their tyrant leader quivered dangerously, his fists clenched and his fangs grit. His head was lowered but he was clearly enraged… "You guys have to get to Raccoon and fast." he growled, snapping his head in the direction of Leon, "Bring Claire here, she'll be safer."

"Alright… but what should I tell Sherry and –"

"Wait, did you say, _The League_?" Ashley asked suddenly, they all whipped their heads in her direction.

"Do you know something, Ash?" Cindy questioned, inclining to meet the shorter woman's height. Ashley fidgeted uncomfortably, looking everywhere but the tall beautiful blonde before her. Cindy clasped her shoulders, shaking her a bit. "Ashley, our brother colony is in trouble! If you know anything, please tell us!"

Ashley glanced from Leon's hardened but concerned face and her bosses seething with rage one and grimaced, "I know I'm not supposed to be nosy and dig through her things but she told me to read the manual on the townsfolk and study so I could be a good worker here."

"Who is 'she'?" asked Leon.

"The lead assistant, Rebecca…"

"What did you learn?" Cindy pressed, eyes wide with desperation as she looked from her boss to the girl.

The smaller blonde bit her lip, "I _accidentally_ read it…" she lied and everyone knew but was grateful for her sneakiness for once. "There was an anonymous letter thanking her for her contribution to their cause. Whoever they were, they cited that her lover or something would be considered for release thanks to her help."

"Help with what?" Steve urged.

"Something about the overlord's son…"

Steve stiffened dramatically, his anger fading as pure adrenaline took over him.

"They said that she would be fine upon their arrival and they would be coming soon. The last thing I remember reading was a signed signature saying, _The_ _League_."

"When did you read that?"

"This morning."

* * *

Steve and Leon arrived at Jake and Sherry's room just as Sherry emerged from the bathroom in new attire; black skinny jeans, tall brown boots, and a long-sleeved black shirt beneath her beige poncho sweater. She had the hood of her poncho pulled over her head, signifying they were about to make their leave. Jake had also changed, he was now wearing a new cloak with sleeves, jeans and combat boots – he was covered in black from head to toe. They both were sporting the typical Sheena Island fashion.

Sherry's cheerful expression was quickly subdued, "W-What's going on?"

"You guys –"

The tyrant leader was unable to finish as siren's sounded out loudly in the hotel. They all quickly went to the wide window and gazed out at a new scenery that was nothing like the bright city lights and excitement they were used to.

The entire city outside was in uproar, cars were crashing, light fixtures were toppled over and tyrants were fighting in the streets with an enemy unlike any other.

"Oh my God…" Sherry whispered in horror. "Are they tyrants?"

"Not just tyrants," said Leon as a large tank burst through the outer gates before their very eyes. "Humans too…"

Steve opened the door behind them, "We gotta get you three outta town, fast."

Before Sherry could start for the door, Leon grabbed her and shoved something into her hands…

"You're gonna need it."

Jake caught Steve by the arm, "What the fuck is goin' on?"

Steve sighed, "I'll be quick about this." he took a deep breath, "Raccoon's in trouble, the mayor – Siren's dad has been taken away, Claire needs help, and the people invading Sheena right now are the same people who just left Raccoon in limbo."

"_**What**_?!"

"They're called _The League_ – they're a group of people sent here to get you…"

The alarm he expressed slowly turned into a grin, a maniacal look came to Jake's eyes as he chuckled lowly, "…Let me guess… my dear ole dad?"

"The one and only."

Their desperate fight for escape was about to begin.

* * *

A/N: WHOA NELLY! XD There's chapter 5! I want to thank **aquacrow** for helping once again! Love ya! :D

_**Quick question**_... would you guys/girls prefer if I put the translations beside the Italian for now on? I can if it's stressful to have to scroll down just to know what's being said.

From this point on, the action bits are gonna start coming full throttle! What's this? A human race that can actually battle tyrants and are unified with them?! And worse, they're sent by Jake's father – big scary daddy Wesker! DUN DUN DUN! 8D

Chaos is about to reign next chapter, we're actually going to see a full on battle and the effects tyrants really can do when in battle. Plus, there's a few special members from The League that will make their appearance. Feel free to suggest some more additions to this mysterious group of badasses but here's a hint to two mains: They are Resident Evil's official battle couple… ;)

Are you guys/girls ready to see our babe Sherry using her 'weapon'? As if the first chappie wasn't a hint for it! [wink, wink]. [GO SHERRY WOOT!]

Thanks for all the reviews, favs and alerts. I promise from this point on, the fic will be more action, more exploration/traveling, and more answers to the great puzzle that is Jake Muller-Wesker. XD

CH6 Preview: _"Some people aren't afraid to risk it all for the ones they love..."__  
_

Please review and remember, if you have questions or concerns, feel free to ask!

-Vio

* * *

CHP 5 TRANSLATIONS:

Spettro (Phantom, specter, ghost)

Sirena (Siren)

Cazzo! (Fuck!)

Bella (Beautiful)

Cantami una cazone, la mia piccola… (Sing me a song, my little one)

Voglio il tuo cuore (I want your heart)

Desidero che ogni oncia di voi (I want every ounce of you)

Che ti prende? (What is wrong?)

Vieni qua… vorrei toccare (Come here... I would like to touch you...)

Mi sento pazzo (I feel crazy)

Perché? Perché siete così meraviglioso (Why is that? Why are you so wonderful?)


	6. Levels of Devotion, Part One

Chapter Six

**Levels of Devotion **(Part One)

_Some people aren't afraid to risk it all for the people and things they hold dear. _

* * *

"Come on! Let's get outta here!"

Screams echoed throughout the building, sirens sounded out all around them and the whole estate was lit up with red lights. Steve led them through the hotel corridor at lightning speed. As they neared the emergency exit, a sudden disruption rocked the entire buildings foundation and they were sure it was cannon fire.

"Shit! How bad do you think the damage is?" Leon wondered aloud, glancing over his shoulder as if he could see the effects.

"Probably minor, this place is built to withstand tyrant rebellions – not like that would happen though!" Steve mused, pressing forward in their sprint.

A turbulent crack resonated around them an instant later, followed by another explosion. Sherry shrieked in terror, she started to fall forward as the hotel took a shocking tip – clearly the cannon fire had destroyed more of the building than they first imagined. "Oh my God!" she cried out, searching for something to grab onto.

Her boots slipped once she grasped her hands on a doorframe when the tilt went into full effect. Leon, who was once behind her, was now ahead with Steve and Jake below, able to claw their talons into the floors and stay mounted.

Sherry looked up to Leon and she froze up at the sight of fire falling down upon them. "Look out!" she shouted to her friend.

Leon already saw it coming and quickly swung out of the way, onto another doorway. Sherry on the other hand had nowhere to go. She shut her eyes and prayed she wouldn't be burned too bad.

The moment she felt hands around her small waist, she knew she was safe.

"_Non ti preoccuparti bella, io mi occuperò di voi. [Don't worry beautiful, I'll take care of you]_." Jake whispered into her ear.

She was quickly scooped into his arms as Steve grabbed Leon. Sherry buried her face in his chest when the hybrid and tyrant leader both leaped from a nearby window, out of the building and into the air outside.

From the air, they could see the entire city was in sheer chaos. Cars were piling on top of each other, light fixtures had fallen over, a few buildings were set ablaze and bodies of tyrants and humans alike were scattered about the ground below.

Jake and Sherry were astonished by the hell around them. Whoever these _League_ people were, they must be a force to be reckoned with if they could successfully invade and nearly demolish an entire tyrant colony within minutes.

They landed on a nearby building instead of descending so many feet to the ground below. "It's better to travel over the rooftops. With all the firepower they're packing, you could very well get buried alive on the ground." Steve said, releasing Leon.

"Firepower?" Sherry inquired, "What is that?"

"Guns." Jake answered.

Just as he uttered those words, rapid gun fire could be heard around them. Jake tackled Sherry down and shielded her with his own body. Leon and Steve had gone over to the edge and ducked behind the wall there. Once the fire had ceased, they peeked over the edge to find the source of the noise.

Jake had just started to help Sherry to her feet when the sound of glass shattering echoed across the city. Immediately after that, a loud crash that caused the entire metropolis to tremble as if an earthquake was in the midst.

This was a result of the hotel they barely escaped from; it had finally collapsed into a pile of dust, debris and fire.

Sherry gasped in horror, her hands covering her lips. "Oh my God… This can't be happening…"

"We'd better move, and quick." said Leon.

They commenced the escape, their destination was the caves and eventually the boat but to get there, they had to whisk their way through a sea of destruction this _League_ had plagued upon them.

Steve led the way as usual with Leon's arm around his shoulder and the other around his middle while Jake carried Sherry. "Any plan on how we're gettin' outta here?" Jake asked once he was right beside his friend.

They hopped from one building to the next, moving in quick flashes yet with such a massive city, not much distance was gained. "All I need to do is get you two to the tunnels where Cindy and Ashley are. They will lead you through the underground caves and straight to the boat." Steve answered.

"We can't just go straight to the cliff and jump off to the boat?"

"The chances of them finding you are probably slimmer if you're underground. They don't know the tunnels."

"Even better; since they don't know the tunnels, they're more likely to send in tyrants first to lead the way and catch us, but that puts them at a disadvantage." Leon said.

"How so?" asked Sherry.

"If they send in their big guns first and we take them down, that leaves them more vulnerable. Not only will they have lost their tour guide, but they'll be easy targets without tyrants, no matter how skilled they are."

"Oh how _cool_, you're a strategist now aren't ya, pretty boy?" Jake mocked, rolling his eyes.

"Jake!" Sherry scolded with a frown.

"Shit!"

The group was brought to an instant halt when their path was obstructed. A massive skyscraper tower toppled over in front of them, crushing the building beneath and it started to crumble on impact.

Everyone slid down the surface, plunging into the thick cloud of dust and fire below.

* * *

When Sherry came to, she was beside Steve who was also in the midst of recovery. She gradually rose to her feet beside him and searched her surroundings frantically for Jake. All around them was broken remains of the superstructure, flames had overtaken the area and smoke posed a challenge for oxygen and vision.

"Steve, are you okay?" she asked, dusting off her pants and retrieving her dislodged guitar. It had fallen a few inches away when she fell from Jake's arms.

"Yeah, I'm good – how about you siren girl?" he asked.

She nodded without words and then heard Leon shouting for them.

"Leon! Lead him to the caverns! I'll get Sherry there and come back to help you guys if you need it!" Steve replied.

"Got it!"

"_Jake_!" Sherry cried out… she could hear a distinct grumble from over the wall… "Please be careful! And you too Leon! I'll meet you both at the caverns!" she whispered at the end: "Please meet me there Jake…"

A faint smile came to Steve's features, he took her by the elbow and motioned her towards a fire spread street. "Come on, he'll be fine. And Leon's a lot more capable than you can imagine."

"I just hope Jake won't give him any trouble… Jake's not the patient type." she said, clearly in distress at being away from her companion.

"Don't worry, Leon's dealt with all types of tyrants like me and hell, even worse. Now, stop worrying so much, I'm gonna get you to safety."

Sherry looked over her shoulder, her brows furrowed and her stomach in knots. _Please take care of him Leon… I need him. And I think… the world needs him… _

* * *

Leon and Jake had wound up on the other side of the fallen skyscraper, there was a wrecked emergency vehicle nearby, some budding flames and thick dark clouds of ash around them. Straight ahead was a massive car pile-up, it seemed they were trapped…

"Steve! Sherry!" Leon called out, rubbing at his slightly injured shoulder. He'd fallen on his side…

Behind him, Jake rose to his feet having fell face forward but managed to emerge in mint condition. He snapped his head around, listening for sounds of Sherry or a sign of her presence. Just as he almost flew into a frenzy, he heard Steve's response.

"Leon! Lead him to the caverns! I'll get Sherry there and come back to help you guys if you need it!"

"Got it!" Leon whirled around to Jake and pointed to the tall pile of cars behind them with his thumb. "Come on, the caverns shouldn't be too far if we take a short cut I know of."

Jake frowned, "What makes you think I'm gonna listen to a pretty boy like you? I'm gonna –"

"_Jake_!"

The mere sound of her voice sent warmth throughout his body. Immediately, he made a start to climb the obstruction and get to her. An angered and frustrated sound resonated from him when he noticed the fire spread enough to block him and impede his progression to her. He wouldn't be able to get to her like this…

"Please be careful! And you too Leon! I'll meet you both at the caverns!"

_Dammit, I just had to drop her! Cazzo [Fuck]! _He cursed, pounding his fist into the wall – an astonishing crater was formed from the impact.

The hybrid felt sickened by his slip up, now he had to rely on Steve to keep her safe… He turned to Leon and his brows creased together drastically. "Lead the way, dammit." he growled. "And don't even think I'm going to carry you like Steve did – you're on your own."

Leon shrugged, clearly displeased by the half-breeds attitude. "That's fine. Now come on or we'll fall behind."

The two quickly climbed the heap of cars over to the other side, descending some feet down below to the ground. With everything else around them a dead end, they had no choice but to enter the structure ahead, another hotel, but it was barely standing – it's acute lean was hazardous but they had no other options.

Racing through the front doors, Leon and Jake broke through the front office room and straight for the emergency stairway. "Where the hell are you taking me?!" Jake demanded, climbing the stair railings behind his escort.

He was quietly impressed by the other man's finesse and speed despite being a mere human. Leon was able to keep up with him and move with the agility of an actual tyrant. But he had no plans to tell him that.

"We're better off staying on the rooftops, remember? If we stay on the ground, there are too many barriers and obstacles, at least when we're up high we can move more hastily and get a grasp on our surroundings better. Even by being in here, we're at high risk so let's just be quick and as stealthy as possible."

He snorted indignantly but followed nonetheless.

Just as they neared the top floor, Jake's ears picked up on the sound of terrified screams and more rapid fire. As they closed in on the tenth floor, the noise was more evident. Leon kept up his speed and grasped the railing, ready to thrust himself up to the 11th floor, Jake on the other hand halted – and just in time at that.

Leon looked back just as a horde of men burst through the doors before Jake, guns drawn and pointed at him.

_Damn! _He cursed, clinging to the banister.

Jake was surprisingly indifferent to the soldiers pointing their firearms at him. Slowly a wicked grin crept onto his face and he reached into the holster on his thigh to pull out his Nine-oh-Nine.

"Freeze!" one of the soldiers commanded. They were dressed from head to toe in black army fatigue, their heads protected by hardened helmets. Jake could make out that only one of them was a tyrant, and that was the one speaking to him.

Leon knew the threat they posed and sent Jake a quick look before tossing something small and round at the horde.

Jake was disoriented when a bright flash lit up. He went to shield his eyes but was pulled away by someone as the men impeding their path were sent into panic.

"What the hell was that?" Jake quizzed, glancing back on the stairs at the men still struggling to gather themselves.

"A flash grenade," Leon answered, kicking in the door on the eleventh floor. "I make them quite often. Here…" Jake held out his hand when Leon offered him a few. "They could very well come in handy."

Jake twitched, unwilling to accept the offer but before he could reject him, the blonde had made a quick bolt towards the window at the end of the hall. "Come on! We'll have to climb up, otherwise they could surround us."

Growing more agitated by the minute, Jake chased behind him, plunging out the opening and scaling up the side of the declining skyscraper. He was almost dumbfounded by the escalating bedlam in the metropolis; nearly a third of the town was set ablaze, massive tanks rode through the streets, firing at superstructures at will and even from this height, his powerful vision observed the many innocent citizens of Sheena scurrying about in sheer terror.

Was this what had become of Raccoon while he was away…? Jake felt an unfamiliar feeling… a knot forming in his gut and it perturbed him profoundly.

Leon reached the top. "Whoa!" he shouted after nearly slipping. His hand grabbed the corner of the banister and he leaped over it where he concluded that it was wiser to shimmy across from this point. "Jake, are you good? The gates are close by!"

He could see the outer gates to his hideout. Not much farther and they were in the clear.

However, Jake had taken a sudden and unexpected pause.

_That scent… it's _**her**…

The two dived from that building to the next just as more_ League_ members fired upon them. Their bullets miraculously missed their targets and further to despair, the building was finished the moment the two men left it. It doubled over, burying the soldiers inside of it. Once again, another thick storm of dust, glass and fire erupted from the collision.

The new building they were on was much lower and shorter in stature than the others thus far. Leon looked around and quickly made a break for the door some feet away to enter. "What the fuck are you doing?!" Jake groaned, chasing after him.

Leon said nothing as he descended the stairway to the inside. Once Jake was inside with him, he shut the door and raced behind a counter nearby. The hybrid's eyes scanned the room… it was a _gun shop_! He could see semi-automatic firearms, rifles, ammunition and even grenades among other means of weaponry.

"Here, take this ammo!" Leon tossed the half-tyrant a few clips of ammo while he stuffed the inside of his own jacket with some.

"Alright, are we done here?" Jake asked short-patiently.

"Yeah, let's go."

* * *

Steve had Sherry on his back as he sprinted through the town. They were almost in the clear when the abrupt demand for them to halt was voiced out. Sherry looked over her shoulder and saw a line of men in the horizon. All aiming at them…

"Steve! Look out!" she cried out.

The tyrant leaped out of the way, bouncing off walls and away from their pursuers. "Hang on siren girl, we're almost there!" he said.

"Okay!"

Hopping the outer gates without issue, Steve raced through the damp woods with accelerated speed. The rain scratched across his face and the wind whistled, whipping through his coat so that it flew behind him like a cape. On his back, Sherry was starting to feel motion sickness.

He arrived at the elevator and hit the button to call it. Hearing the mechanical hum as it ascended to them, he voiced his relief. "Alright!" he cheered, pumping his fist into the air. "And even better news: the whole towns not shit yet – that's good news for the tax payers!"

When the doors opened, he raced inside. The doors shut a moment later and begun the descent downwards. Releasing Sherry, he removed his wet coat to shake off the rain water, growing impatient with the wait.

"Steve, I'm sorry about all of this…" Sherry lamented. Her head was downcast and she was biting her bottom lip out of habit. "It seems no matter where Jake and I go, we bring trouble with us."

Steve was unsure how to respond. He knew she was troubled by the mayhem around them but he was not sure how to ease her. He cleared his throat and scratched at a nonexistent itch at his nape. "Uh, don't worry about it. It's got nothing to do with you."

"But why are these people attacking Sheena? Who are they? What do they want?"

Briefly recalling Jake's reluctance to share with her, Steve knew he could only tell so much… Even worse, he was hesitant to inform her of the present peril her father was in. "They work for the tyrant overlord, Albert Wesker. They raid towns for frivolous reasons, take prisoners and leave colonies in shambles when they're done. They're called the_ League_."

"Oh my God…"

Suddenly, a devastating quake hit and rocked the elevator. Steve cursed when the lift abruptly stopped. Sherry clung to a banister and watched as he forced the elevator doors open, revealing the inner walls of the structure. There was an open space just above and he knew they'd have to climb out or risk the elevator falling violently down into the earth.

"Come on!" he climbed out and extended his hand down to Sherry – lifting her out just in time as the elevator cracked and shot down in a flash.

Steve pulled her onto the floor just as the lift crashed at the bottom, bursting into flames that shot up barely missing them. Wasting no time, he tossed her onto his back and sped through the halls. As he moved, the world quaked around them as explosions and chaos continued on the surface.

"Can the ceiling fall down on us?!" Sherry wondered apprehensively.

"Yeah but I doubt it, we're almost outta here!"

Straight ahead was an iron door and Steve burst through it.

Inside was the tunnel. The walls around them were pure earthen rocks, as well as the ground. The passage was narrow with an archway path that took them to a wider opening. In the horizon were Cindy and Ashley, standing before a wooden bridge with brilliant lanterns in their hands.

The bridge was over a dark trench, the sound of water trickling down to a pool of water many feet below echoed throughout the area. The entire vicinity was dimly lit but scarce lanterns hung from the ceilings to help with the dilemma.

"Sir, you made it!" cheered Cindy. She skipped over to check him for injuries. "Good, you're both okay…" she let out a sound of relief.

"Cindy, Ashley, lead her to the boat and all of you be careful. Got it?" Steve ordered, releasing Sherry to the ground.

"But sir, what are you going to do?" Cindy asked, clearly concerned for her leader.

Steve turned away from them. "I'm gonna go take my town back."

* * *

Leon felt sore all over. A high-pitched ringing sounded off in his ears and his head was pounding enough that it threatened to break out his skull. When the painful screech finally let up, he sat up and released a strained groan as his back cracked a bit.

"What happened…?" he wondered aloud.

He could recall starting for the exit of the gun shop with Jake behind him when suddenly… everything went black. Turning around, he noticed the gun shop was burning – he concluded that there must have been an explosion. Cursing his luck [but grateful to be alive], he looked around and was unsettled by Jake's absence.

_That kid didn't run off and get lost did he? _He wondered, staggering to his feet. _Or worse… he wasn't caught while I was out was he…?! _

"Jake!" he shouted.

Nothing.

He balled his fists and made a start but halted when he realized he was essentially lost. Jake could have gone anywhere and the heat around him was unbearable. The entire city was loud with a mix of gunfire, screams, and explosions, he felt completely discombobulated. Reaching into the holster on his thigh, he retrieved his Red9 Handgun, removed the safety off it, and then ripped his tattered jacket from his body.

Beneath that jacket was all his gear; a riot shotgun strapped to his back, grenades across his torso and miscellaneous other weaponry also at his disposal.

Even with city thrust into mayhem, he knew he had a job to do.

He wasn't going to the tunnels unless Jake was with him.

It wouldn't be easy to find a willful tyrant, but finding the leader of these tight-assed troops and taking him out would be a reckless task... but none too difficult for him.

"Never an easy day for me, huh?"

He just needed a little motivation, is all.

* * *

Jake had come to some time before Leon did. He found himself in the middle of the open street. Stretching out his stiff muscles, he whiffed the air and detected a few familiar scents; Leon was just over the fence of fire – he assumed the explosion from the building behind them had been responsible for that. Steve was also in the area… and Sherry was underground.

_Steve must've left her there… _He looked over to where Leon was supposed to be. There was no way he could reach him with the flames as violent as they were.

Just then, that familiar fragrance from earlier arrived and this time, it was closer than ever…

The hybrid felt a wave of excitement flow over him. "It's been a while since I actually fought someone that posed a threat!" he laughed, haughtily.

Sure, he was supposed to be getting to the tunnels with Sherry… but he could feel the coming nightfall. How he wished Sheena Island had a sunset to count down before the rise of his dark side… but alas, the mere tingling in his fingertips was enough of a sign.

Throwing reason out of the window, Jake desired nothing more than to give these _League_ people a reason to back off.

He was choosing to engage in conflict.

This hybrid was going to tear them to shreds.

And then, he was going after **her**.

* * *

With every step they made, the girls would falter as the earth shook above them. Cindy led the way, exercising extreme caution in the dark passageway with a dissatisfied Ashley walking behind Sherry. The girl was very much uncomfortable being the last of them to progress in the dark.

"We've got quite a ways to go but we should be there soon if we're careful…" Cindy whispered, nibbling at her thumb nail.

Sherry was on high alert, listening out for anything in case it shown itself. "What happened to Rebecca?" she asked suddenly, causing a twitch from Cindy.

"I wouldn't worry about that traitor."

"Ashley!" Cindy scolded.

"Well it's true!" she insisted, crossing her arms stubbornly but careful to avoid burning herself with her lantern. "It's because of her that this is happening!"

"What do you –" Sherry stopped abruptly… Ahead of them was sharp turn and she could have sworn she just saw someone retreat back behind it. She pushed Cindy behind her and readied her guitar. "…Who's there?" she called out, slowly approaching the turn.

"There's no way it's an enemy…" Cindy whispered. "These tunnels are sealed and only those familiar with the landscape would know how to work around it."

Sherry maintained her focus. She gradually advanced further, eyes trained ahead as the light offered by the blondes behind her flickered in the dark.

The girls were startled when they heard footsteps race away, fading away farther into the darkness. Sherry swiftly pressed against the wall, inching forward, she looked around the corner just in time to see a dark figure run straight ahead and shut a heavy iron door behind them.

Cindy and Ashley followed her example and peeked around the corner but they only made out the door shutting.

"Oh my God… it's a _ghost_?!" Ashley whispered in a rising panic. Cindy visibly blanched, her blue eyes widened dramatically in fear. "I knew it was a bad idea to build a town over an old prison! Now the tortured souls of criminals are gonna get us!"

"I don't think so." Sherry muttered, pushing off the wall to cautiously proceed.

Cindy gasped, "Sherry, don't go alone. You won't be able to see." she reasoned, quickly coming up behind the siren-like girl.

"H-Hey! Don't leave me here alone!" shrieked Ashley, she practically flew up to them, clinging fearfully to Cindy's back.

They closed in on the door and Sherry realized it was a prison cell. To her left was another passage lined with more cells and only one dim light in the distance. She felt terror rising within, adrenaline fueling her ahead as her hand slowly extended forward to grip the round door knocker.

She turned it and after taking a deep breath, she whipped the door open.

Screams echoed throughout the caves.

* * *

On the outskirts of the city, the leader of the _League_ approached some more of his men before the elevator doors to the underground estate. He was dressed from head to toe in special force attire with weapons strapped to his body. Their colors were grey and black while he had numerous badges to his name. With a tall, athletic frame, he is mighty among his men.

The troops salute him when he arrives.

"Captain, didn't the tyrants say the target hasn't arrived to the caves yet?"

With a growl, he replied: "I'm sick and tired of you questioning me cadet!" he bellowed in a rage, grabbing him by the collar and tossing him aside. "Everyone in this damn city is to be found and captured for harboring the supreme master's son! That means even the people underground! Now open this damn door and let's go get 'em!"

"Yes sir!"

One of the men planted a bomb beside the door to the elevator and after a brief countdown, the doors were blown away. The troops set up their gear to descend the long shaft down into the earth by means of wire.

"Let's go men!" the captain commanded, being the first to make his way down.

"Roger!"

* * *

"…Rebecca!" Sherry beamed, hugging the small chestnut haired woman. "I'm so glad you're safe! I was worried about you!"

The girls had been startled by the brunette's presence. It was she who had taken up a hiding spot in the cellar. Realizing it wasn't the unknown specter they had once attributed her to be, they were relieved… but Cindy and Ashley were distrustful of her.

Rebecca didn't seem to be in a joyous mood herself.

Gently pulling away from Sherry, she beckoned them farther inside and shut the heavy door behind them. The cell was a tormented sight; the hard brick floors were dilapidated, an old iron bed was without the mattress and turned over on its side, a small stool was in the corner for sitting and behind it was a closet.

Rebecca sat her lantern on the stool and crouched down, gesturing for the others to follow her example. Cindy sent Sherry a concerned expression. The siren-like woman smiled and sat with her guitar at her side. Cindy followed suit while Ashley folded her arms and shot a nasty glare in her superior attendant's direction.

"You've got some nerve showing your face after what you've done!" she snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at the woman.

"Ashley!" Cindy scolded once again.

Sherry narrowed her watery hues suspiciously, the hands folded neatly on her lap were balled into fists now. "…What exactly is going on?" she asked.

Cindy attempted to yank her prodigy down into her lap and scold her like a mother to her child but was stunned when she tore away defiantly. "No Cindy, Sherry needs to know what Rebecca did!" she pressed, falling to her knees and crawling into the accused's face. "How could you? You betrayed your own people! You realize that, right?!"

"Ashley, please, let Rebecca talk!" Cindy pleaded, finally snatching her into her arms before Ashley did something crazy.

Rebecca was pokerfaced yet her eyes brimmed with tears. She took a deep breath before looking at Sherry. "I'm sorry... this is my fault. The _League_'s arrival here on Sheena Island is because I told them about that man you're traveling with."

Sherry's heart stopped. "W-What? You… W-Why…?!"

Rebecca lowered her face to her lap in shame, "I was told the young master was similar to the supreme master in stature… And those eyes… cold as ice. Just like the descriptions in legend…"

"I-I don't understand… W-What does he have to do with the tyrant overlord?"

Rebecca's lips thinned, "You are aware that the overlord is searching for his missing son, yes? Well… I thought maybe Mr. _Spettro [Phantom] _was him…"

Sherry couldn't believe her ears. "…_What_…?"

The mere mention of Albert Wesker's son was enough to make even the mightiest of men tremble. To this day, his actual name was unknown to humans and tyrants alike, and even his image was indefinite. All that was confirmed was that he had eyes like the coldest of ice and is rumored to be the most powerful tyrant in existence…

Well _was_. Rumors also surfaced that he'd perished long, long ago.

_They said he toppled kingdoms in the dead of night, conquered over 100 islands and his body count is unbelievable… _

"Young master… Supreme master…?" Sherry's jaw dropped, "You think he's… You think he's the overlord's son?! No… No there must be some sort of mistake. They're totally different people."

_Sure maybe Jake does have ice cold eyes but I've never heard tales that the overlord's son was a hybrid human and tyrant. Just that he was the embodiment of power and carnage… That can't be Jake…!_

She refused to believe that distant and mysterious tyrant who she had slept beside, curled up against and longed for with everything she had was such a sadistic being.

_But what if he is… what if Jake Muller is actually Wesker's son? _

"I ask that you forgive me…"

"Why the hell should we do that?!" Ashley raged, bucking and fighting with all she had to escape Cindy's clutches. "You've ruined our city! You put Mayor Steve in danger! And worse, now I won't get to go dancing with Mister Luis!"

Cindy sighed, "To be fair, Ashley… I'm sure he was more or less looking to take you to bed…" she shuddered uncomfortably, "Especially with all his talk of your breasts."

"He likes them buxom!" Ashley defended, "And it's Rebecca's fault that I can't impress him now!"

The girls all ceased action when Sherry rose to her feet abruptly. She walked slowly before Rebecca and stared down at her with stony eyes. "Rebecca… Why did you do it? Why didn't you ask me first? I would've told you that you had the wrong man."

She bit her lip to stop its constant quivering… "My husband… he was arrested by the overlord some years ago because he was thought to be the young master. I was told by the _League_ that if I found his real son, I could have him back."

_She did this to get back her husband…_

The daughter of Birkin was disturbed. What if they mistook Jake for the overlord's son and arrested him like they had Rebecca's husband? Her stomach twisted into knots. _I have to do something… I have to go back for Jake. I need to do whatever I can to keep him safe…_

Sherry took in some air and averted her gaze, "Rebecca…"

Suddenly, the girls were all shaken violently by an explosion nearby.

"What was that?!" Ashley wondered aloud, instantly ceasing the fight against Cindy in favor of clinging desperately to her.

Rebecca rose to her feet quickly. "Surely it's the _League_." she swiped her lantern into her hand and opened the prison door. "Follow me, I can get us all to a very good hiding spot that even the tyrants can't pick up on. But we have to be quick, otherwise…" she trailed off.

"_**Sir, there's a passageway down here!"**_

The women froze.

Rebecca slowly scooted back inside, shutting the door quietly behind her. "Okay, Plan B – hide in that closet. They aren't after me but if they find me, they'll take me instead and you guys can get away after they leave."

Cindy and Ashley quickly followed her instruction but Sherry wasn't so sold on it. "Why would you do that?" she asked.

Rebecca offered a small smile, "Because, if I am wrong, I need to pay for the damage I've brought upon the city. I'll be arrested… and maybe I can see my husband." she dropped her head, "Besides… I see now that I've done nothing but put you in the same predicament as I am… if they take away Mr. _Spettro_, then that leaves you without your man…"

Sherry couldn't believe her ears. "Now hide! I'll do what I can…"

Ashley wasted no time yanking Sherry back into the closet with them and shutting the door. The three blondes waited quietly to hear if Rebecca would hold up her end of the bargain.

Cindy had her fingers crossed, whispering silent prayers that they wouldn't be caught. She wanted to do whatever she could for Steve and Sheena Island, this was the place she'd spent so much of her life in and he was the silly, cheerful boss she attributed to a friend and king.

If he got arrested, she was going with him.

Meanwhile, Ashley was quietly hoping Rebecca would be arrested for her foolishness. Despite her fury, she couldn't help but replay the good times she had with the woman. She had been there to welcome her into Sheena, she trained her, watched out for her when she got into trouble with perverted tyrants and helped her learn to 'tone down' the flirting with danger.

She never quite learned her lesson… but at least she knew she could rely on Rebecca. But this betrayal of Sheena felt like more than that, it felt like Rebecca had betrayed her, faked her love and concern for her. Now all she had was Cindy… the overly affectionate one while Rebecca had been the voice of reason and realistic one.

Ashley looked at Cindy in the dark of the closet and saw her second mentor hugging Sherry tightly, whispering prayers into the woman's hair. She didn't want to lose Cindy… no matter how annoying and sunny she was.

Suddenly the reality that Rebecca was about to disappear was heart wrenching for her…

Sherry balled her fists tightly before gripping her guitar, quivering with indecisiveness. She understood that Rebecca was merely trying to get her lover back. She had lost someone and wanted nothing more than to have them returned to her…

She knew exactly how Rebecca felt.

_I won't let you take the fall. _

* * *

The _League_'s captain wandered around the second level of Steve's estate, searching vigorously for the missing mayor. One of his men alerted him that he'd found the stairway to the third level and he started that way. Another trooper voiced concern for the members the captain had sent into the caves and the captain sent him a sharp glare.

Zipping his lips, their leader moved on and kicked in the stairway doors. Making haste up the stairs, he came to the third floor and kicked in the door there too. He arrived at the front foyer and saw the room was set ablaze, the fireplace must've been rocked enough to cause more than minute damage.

"Sir, this way – it's the office!"

Following that route, he kept straight and entered the office of Sheena's mayor. Stepping further into the room, he checked the desk and commanded his men to search for any important documents. He chuckled, "Steve Burnside, a tyrant who was once best friends with the overlord's son."

"He was?" inquired one of the troops.

The captain nodded, "They both went on bloody rampages under the supreme master's command. That was over a century ago…" he balled his fists tightly, "We'll never stop until he's caught and returned to the supreme master."

"But sir, is it possible he really is deceased though?"

This caused a heated reaction from the captain, "He's alive dammit! And if he's not here, then we've got to finish interrogating Birkin. It's that simple – someone knows something… they're just faking this naivety shit!"

At this time, another troop raced into the room. He fell against the doorframe, struggling to compose himself and breathe. "Sir… someone took out all the tyrants on the second floor!"

"_What_?!" his blood began to boil. "It's gotta be another tyrant… but who's that powerful?" With a huff, he cracked his knuckles and clenched his submachine gun in anger. "You men, stay here and continue the search, the rest of you follow me."

The captain led his troops back to the second floor in a quick sprint and was devastated to see the authenticity of the report he was given. The walls were stained with blood and bullets were scattered about. All of the tyrants he had guarding the second level as lookouts were down for the count.

More than a few were dead…

The captain readied his weapon and slowly advanced forward in the corridor. The white and black color scheme around him was distracting but he was unafraid as usual.

A sudden white flash on the other hand, threw him off entirely.

He shielded his eyes but not quickly enough.

In the midst of the confusion, he heard bullets firing and the sound of bodies falling around him. He cursed loudly and rubbed at his eyes one last time before finally composing himself.

His eyes widened when he saw his soldiers littered around him in a pool of their own blood. Trembling with anger, he grits his teeth and roars out into the corridor. "**Show yourself, you son of a bitch**!"

The sound of footsteps echoes all around him, there is darkness up ahead and he can make out a silhouette emerging…

Standing there, bouncing a grenade in his dark gloved hand is the face of a man the captain never thought he'd see again. He recognizes the shocking mess of blonde hair, the slim frame, dark attire and solemn face instantly…

The leader of the _League_ smirks, "Well, look who has decided to finally crawl outta the shithole he's always been in?"

The figure offers the same expression, "That's funny, especially coming from a piece of garbage like you… you know, the kind that abandons his sister just so he can make a lifelong career out of wiping the overlord's ass."

"_Leon Scott Kennedy_," the captain says darkly, "You've been on the supreme master's hit list for a long time. If I bring you _and _his son back, I'll be rolling in prestige."

Leon shakes his head with disgust, "That's low for you, _Chris Redfield_. Where's my 'thank you for protecting my sister'? All you care about is the overlord…which is strange considering you hate tyrants."

"Claire was just in the way, always chasing me and spitting nonsense of family love and sticking together. I'm making a mark in this world. I'll be the first human to ever be above a tyrant by my merits alone. Claire was doing nothing but causing a hindrance – holding me back from my true potential."

Leon hooked the grenade onto his belt and pulled his Red9 from his holster, "She was a little girl. Above that, she was your sister – your own flesh and blood. You abandoned her like she was nothing..."

"It's the parent's job to watch their kids. Not the sibling's."

"That's why you'll never be something, Chris. Because your nothing more than a tool. A tool for a being that would rather work you to the bone than respect you. You want prestige? Well, let's see if you'll make your first mark by taking me down."

The two aimed their guns at each other, both ready to settle a long running grudge.

* * *

Rebecca was shaken up when the _League_ members stormed into the room. She recognized one of them immediately, his name was Forest – a tyrant who had arrested her husband years ago and was consistently the leader of the group's tracking division. He was tall with mid-length jet black hair and big sunken dark eyes, his skin was pale and he always had a sick grin on his face… taunting the world with it at all times.

She had difficulty swallowing… "Mister Forest… did you find the suspect yet?"

Forest licked at his sharp fangs, his long tongue lingered on his cheek as he studied her. "Captain's got him taken care of. Now come on baby, it's time for you to come with me." as he reached for her, she backed away quickly.

Rebecca wasn't the least bit interested him. Forest was the type to put his sloppy tongue anywhere and he frightened her with his track record. He was known for tying human women up and torturing them to satisfy his sick fantasies. She'd heard rumor that he choked a girl with his tongue before… and the most recent story was that he'd eaten a girl's heart out that way.

She wouldn't put it past him. She'd seen him kill before… and like the sick inhumane being he was, he ate his opponents' guts…

Nausea threatened to overwhelm her.

Forest frowned darkly upon her, his dark eyes seemed to lose the white to them… "Do I need to repeat myself?"

The troops behind him started muttering incoherently but Rebecca overheard one say he could get in trouble for stalling the mission. Forest whirled around to them and started shouting violent threats, calling them waste of space humans and scum of the earth.

It was at this time that Rebecca's ears picked up on a sound behind her.

She turned just in time to see a lantern flying through the air… Landing on the ground right in front of the troops.

Rebecca was speechless as she watched with wide eyes as the soldiers started hollering and screaming for help as they started to burn. Forest was one of them; he commenced shouting a sequence of unspeakable obscenities and continued to fan himself off.

To her dismay, he recovered and came straight for her.

"Dammit Cindy throw yours already!" she heard Ashley whisper.

"No way, I can't hurt anyone! That's mean and just –"

Forest's hand came around her neck and pinned her to the wall beside the nearly shut closet. As she struggled to get away, he took a few whiffs of the air. "There's more girls here…"

_Oh no! _Rebecca panicked, feeling fear rise and made it even harder to breathe. She was losing the battle.

Sherry moved like a blur.

Just as she opened her eyes, she saw Sherry's guitar connect powerfully with Forest's head. He unleashed a horrendous cry that stunned all but his assailant. Rebecca fell to the floor as Sherry continued her assault, beating at his fallen body with her steel guitar mercilessly.

Rebecca lied on the floor, struggling to breathe while coughing excessively. She was immediately attended to by Cindy, "Don't worry ma'am, you're gonna be okay." she said, lifting her head and smiling down at her with that ever-present warmth.

"Get him, Sherry!" cheered Ashley as she threw fists into the air. "Bash his damn face in!"

Sherry had no idea what had overcome her, she was suddenly filled with a hard resolve and she wanted to end this monster. When Forest was unresponsive, she realized he wasn't bleeding but with his body jerking the way it was, she was sure he was unconscious.

She glanced down at her guitar… not a dent to be seen and above all else, it wasn't broken into pieces. _Thank you, Leon._

"Sherry that was awesome!" Ashley hugged her. Sherry blushed; she had only just met this girl and she found her perky, outspokenness to be quite endearing.

"Ladies, we have a bigger problem…" Cindy pointed to the troops, steadily recovering from their burn wounds.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Sherry beckoned softly with her middle and index fingers. She smiled, _With this weapon, I am truly a force to be reckoned with. _

Cindy hoisted Rebecca's weakened frame to her feet, slinging her arm over her shoulder. "Sherry, do you think you could lead the way?" she passed Rebecca's lantern to Ashley and offered hers to Sherry.

"Sure." Sherry started out, stepping over the burned bodies of the men as they recovered but were weakened drastically.

Ashley stepped out last and smirked down at the troops before snapping her finger and dropping her lantern on top of them. The other girls looked back at her with surprise and shock, she merely shrugged. "Just taking safety measures…"

Rebecca coughed out a laugh, "D-Didn't I tell you not to flirt with danger?"

The smile received in return was a genuine one, "I'll listen next time, big sister."

Glancing over her shoulder, Sherry smiled. She was warmed to see Ashley less apprehensive to the woman and Cindy seemed to be just as pleased. She had tears brimming in her sky-like hues.

Sherry clutched her guitar tighter, _Hang on Jake, I'm coming to help you. Just please be safe… _

* * *

In the midst of the fire and destruction outside, _League_ troops were lined up and throwing civilians into their tanks.

"I think that's the last of them," one said, high-fiving his friend and colleague. "The rest are surely dead."

The other troop chuckled but stopped immediately, his features went ghostly white as he stared off into the distance. His friend tilted his head at him, "What's wrong dude?"

"Uh… L-Lawrence… look over there!"

From the sea of flames, a monster was born.

It was massive in size and incredibly horrendous. Its skin was green and his body was littered with tattered clothing and morbidly hideous scars. Even from their distance away, they could make out his blood red eyes, the pupils were non-existent.

In its hands was a long bladed weapon.

"I-It's t-the…!" the soldier was unable to finish as he was crushed beneath a flying vehicle.

His friend unleashed a mortified scream just as the monster shrieked horribly in the night. It was so loud and remarkable that it reached Chris and Leon's ears, alarmed the three blondes and their injured brunette friend…

And even found its way to Jake.

* * *

The hybrid stood atop the tallest structure in the city and watched with amusement as his friend reclaimed his city. The monster the _League_ was seeing was the mayor himself, Steve Burnside, a battle tyrant born from the most powerful of his kind.

Jake observed his friend clear through the metropolis, slinging tanks and slicing people to shreds with his scythe.

"Just like old times, eh buddy?" he said aloud.

Steve picked up an enormous tank and split it in two, the prisoners inside were freed and they thanked him, offering to fight by his side without issue and pressing forward to reap the harvest on the invaders.

This… unsettled Jake.

After all this time, Steve had grown into a different man. Sure he was still the same prankster he'd always been but he'd ruled over a city and successfully attained the loyalty and respect of his civilians. He was always surrounded by friends and people willing to go out of their way for him. In return, Steve was willing to help and protect them…

And here he was, the recipient of Steve's generosity and allegiance. All because of a favor he'd done for him long ago…

Steve's city had gone under siege because of him. Sherry's father was detained because of his ties to him…

And then there was Sherry… the woman who would go out of her way for him and actually… _cared_ for him.

This was a bit of a reality check for him; he had people who cared about him, who would sacrifice anything for him… yet he was constantly being selfish. Doing whatever he wanted to…

He turned on his heels, ready to go find Sherry and get that blonde pretty boy so they could make a hasty exit, to save Steve this chaos any further.

As he faced the new direction, he was met with the barrel of a gun.

His eyes traveled from it to the holder. There was a woman with long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, she wore a dark blue full-body battle-suit that hugged her voluptuous curves and slit down her bosom, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. Her anger was evident by the narrowness of her cloudy orbs and the distinct pout to her bottom lip.

A smirk cracked onto Jake's face.

"Well, well, if it isn't _Jiru-Jiru_." he greeted mockingly. "You finally found me, huh?"

The woman smacked him in the face with the gun yet it did no damage, merely knocked off his hood. Jake turned back to face her, this time with less humor and more agitation. "I'm not here to play games, _Jah-Jah_." she retorted harshly, "You've got some nerve putting the supreme master through all this."

The hybrid rolled his eyes, "Yet you call me by that childish pet-name? Funny. Oh and I thought it was dear ole dad, not supreme whatever?"

A small flinch was given by her at the mention of the name, "Things have changed since you left…" she muttered.

"You look tired, Jiru – ya sure you ain't sick of his shit either? Maybe you're tired of being his errand girl?" he gripped the gun and pulled it away from his face. "He's using you, just like he did me." he smirked.

She yanked away, "Shut up! You're under arrest!"

Jake ripped away his cloak and grit his teeth in anger, "You wanna fuck with me, Jill? You remember what happened last time don't cha? You were a bloody fuckin' mess…"

Jill removed the safety from her gun, "I've gotten stronger since then, Jake. I can do just as much as you can. Did you forget...?"

Her cloudy hues turned red... "I'm a hybrid too."

With impressive swiftness, Jill kicked Jake square in the chest. He was sent flying meters away, crashing into a building and into the wall there. A devastating crater had formed where he hit it. She entered the building just as he recovered, grabbing him by his arm and flipping him into mid-air where she met him, flipping off his face to send him hurling down to the floor.

His face hit the cold tile with force and he groaned, popping his nose back in place just as she slammed her knees into his back.

Jill cartwheeled away and took a battle stance, ready to charge him when he stood. As he did, she dash toward him but was dismayed when he leaped over her.

"I'll admit, when you get that blonde hair – you get a little tougher." he taunted, dodging her kicks. "But I always liked my big sister when she was a brunette you know."

She smirked, backhanding him and the connect to his face sent him hurdling out the hole he flew into. He fell down the tall superstructure and Jill dived down to continue her assault. She kicked him in the side and watched with satisfaction as he shot down to the ground and fell into a pile of cars with such force that they scattered upon impact.

Gracefully, she swung off a pole and flipped onto the ground, walking up to him with her guns drawn. "I told you, I've gotten better. I surely wasn't going to lie to you, _Jah-Jah_." He was sprawled out on top of a fire truck and appeared unconscious. "Well, it's been fun but it's time you come home now. Father will be pleased to see you."

In an instant, Jake shot up to his feet and hurled a car at her. Jill flipped out of the way but before she could land, a truck came at her. She growled and kicked it, splitting the vehicle in half.

She saw Jake leaping up another building and grit her teeth, "You're no coward…" she mumbled. "So why are you running away…?"

Quick with her pursuit, she climbed up the side of the structure and saw Jake standing there. Without his cloak, she could see what type of damage she'd done. He had a few bruises and scrapes, but like the living breathing tank he was revered to be, he was perfectly fine.

He stood alone, his eyes unwavering on her and an unreadable expression etched on his features. With flames from the burning city behind him, he looked the image of madness and destruction – a bona fide warrior with a love for disaster and mayhem.

That was him 100 years ago.

"Are you done running? Let's get this battle over with so you can see father again –"

Just then, Jake stomped down where he stood and the crater that formed soon caused the entire structure to fall apart. Jill leaped away quickly, twisting and flipping in mid-air before landing gracefully on the ground below. She watched with wide eyes as Jake descended in front of her, on the very piece of rock he stood on before the crumbling under his power.

He was motionless as he came down, the concrete beneath him finally turned to dust upon his grounding. Jake shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "You got stronger, huh? What makes you think I ain't either?"

Letting out a dark chuckle, he dropped his head to laugh. "After all…" when his head lifts, his eyes are the coldest of ice. "…I am the most **powerful **tyrant in existence…"

* * *

**A/N:** WOOT WOOT! XD There's chapter 6! Hope you liked it! Chapter 7 will continue where this one left off. I would have made chapter 6 and 7 one whole chapter but I didn't want to keep everyone waiting as long as I did last time.

I went ahead and put the translations beside the Italian phrases for this chapter. I can continue to if it's okay with everyone. :D Thanks for all the favs, alerts and reviews – I appreciate them so much.

So… who knew Jill was a hybrid? Did anyone see that coming? :D Also before I cause confusion, there's a catch as to why Chris is acting the way he is but only the future will tell why. And further, I really wanted to portray a lot of characters in this fic as being kind of messed up.

I don't know if it was picked up on yet but ALL of the characters in here are _bad_ in a sort of way or have a less than honorable past. There's no true heroes in this story but Sherry and Jake are supposed to_ become_ heroes. Yes, that means even Sherry's got an even darker secret to come out eventually, Leon's secret is coming later and as for Jake, the truth about him is coming out more and more.

Stick around to learn more next chapter! ;)

Also for anyone who wants something to read for Halloween, I recommend reading "_A Remedy for Lonely Hearts_" chapters 9 and 10, "_Memoirs from the Garden_" chapter 5, and as for this one, maybe Chapter 3.

I may actually do a one shot for Halloween. It will be a JakexSherry of course and I kind of have an idea of what it will be. I plan to scare some pants off if I do it so keep an eye out. XD

In the meantime, thanks for everything! Feel free to ask questions or voice concerns. I'm off to study for my exam tomorrow LOL

I'll see you guys/girls soon!

-Vio


	7. Levels of Devotion, Part Two

Chapter Seven:

**Levels of Devotion** (Part Two)

_The battle rages on... _

* * *

The sound of Chris' machine gun echoed throughout the vicinity. He fired relentlessly at Leon while the former dodged and took cover anywhere necessary. The men had taken their fight into the hall outside Steve's gallery. To Chris' right was the door for entry and the other door was on Leon's left; where he'd taken cover.

Clip after clip was emptied – Chris advanced on his opponent with eyes hardened by resolve.

He would end Leon.

This was something he'd longed to do for many years – he just never thought it would be so soon.

But Leon wasn't about to make this easy for him.

Leon dived out onto the floor and with his pistol ready, he shot Chris' gun clean out of his hand, leaving him momentarily vulnerable. To his dismay, Chris was already expecting that and retreated behind the wall. The walls had chipped, cracked and were worsening by the minute as explosions overhead rocked the entire foundation.

Deciding this was going nowhere fast, Chris grew impatient and propped open his door as discreetly as possible. He peeked inside and noticed Leon's door was also open, but the rogue fighter was suddenly absent.

The gallery was dark, save the lights from the hallway that crept inside and shone only where the doors were open. Separating the two doors for entry was a thick concave wall with darkness in its domain. The farthest wall inside was flanked with displays of wall art, paintings, and ancient artifacts from a previous world; marble sculptures, parchments and even old pristine weapons like a bow and arrow from centuries ago.

No doubt Steve brought guests here for entertainment.

Citing many possible sources for camouflage, Chris kneeled down behind a beautiful antique marble carving of a Greek goddess. The floor was glossed and tiled so he made sure to be careful about moving too quickly, he could slip and render himself vulnerable.

Hearing a shuffle from behind, Chris turned to see a large chunk from the ceiling descend to the floor. He narrowed his dark orbs and returned to his former post only to see Leon standing before him, his gun against his forehead.

"It's not like you to be so easily distracted." he taunted humorlessly.

Chris snorted and retaliated by smacking away the gun. Leon started to fire, shattering all the remnants of the art gallery with every bullet. Chris quickly leaped behind the door and clung to the doorframe. Pulling his Samurai Edge handgun from its holster on his thigh, he shot at Leon and missed as the blonde rolled behind a statue.

The captain smirked and emptied his clip onto the obstruction. Leon realized he needed to move, and quickly. When Chris stopped to reload, Leon darted for the outside.

_I need more room to fight him. This whole area is too narrow… _He thought.

Leon quickly sprinted to the stairway. Just as the door shut behind him, a bullet shattered the window and he ducked down to avoid it. Leaping up the railings, he could see Chris tailing him but he was still some distance away.

"You're running now, Kennedy?!" Chris was ready to slander his name, "The great Leon Scott Kennedy… running from a battle! It's disgraceful!"

"You're just mad cuz' you can't keep up with me." Leon retorted. "You probably could if it weren't for that thick skull of yours."

The bullet that shot past his shoulder indicated he'd struck a nerve.

Bursting through the doors, Leon made for the front foyer but was amazed by the escalating fire spreading throughout the floor. Chris emerged shortly after he did and Leon attacked him head on.

Knocking away one another's pistol, the two were now left without their guns. They drew their knives and prepared for hand-to-hand combat.

* * *

He was fast. Perhaps too fast for her.

Jill flew out of the building into the streets, rolling and tumbling until she crashed powerfully into a semi-truck. It tipped over and while she tried to recover, it gradually begun to fall into the deep crater behind it, a mess of fire and ash. She managed by the skin of her teeth to leap away and land on the ground.

Her chest was on fire – all by a mere kick! And she'd blocked it too… why did it affect her so much?

She pulled herself together as Jake steadily approached, his steely gaze pierced through her but she was unafraid. As a member of the _League_, she was duty bound to see everything through.

Swift on her feet, she sprang into the air and lifted her leg above her head; she was going to slam her heel down onto him and smash him to the ground but missed by a mile when he zipped away. The ground crumbled under her power but she didn't stop for a minute.

Coming at him with a flurry of kicks and punches, she tried with all she had to connect with him once, but alas, he dodged each one effortlessly. In an instant, she slammed her fist into the ground but as per expectation, he sprang away just in time.

This time, he went on the attack. Jill gasped when he surfaced behind her and grabbed her left leg, swinging her away. Jill flipped mid-air to regain control but was hit with a follow up attack when his fist collided with her cheek. She was sent hurdling into a building destroying whatever was left of its structure.

It begun to fall apart.

She gasped, snapping her eyes shut, waiting for the weight to fall on her.

Instead, she looked up just in time to see a flash.

The next thing she knew, she was outside again.

Jake stood before her, hands shoved in his pockets. He looked completely _unimpressed_.

Jill felt sick.

"I didn't need your help!" she yelled, coming at him with her fists balled, "I could have gotten out myself, you stupid kid!" in all her rage, she snapped and grabbed his arm, twisting it and flipping along with him to throw him some distance away.

Jake had been caught off guard by her fury. When he fell, he snapped his arm back in place and stood to his feet, dodging her onslaught as she started up once more. "_Avete finito_ [_You're finished_]." he ducked low and punched her square in her abdomen.

It only stunned her for a moment as she flipped away, but upon landing, she crumbled to her knees feeling the full effects. She looked queasy and clutched her middle tightly, her lips tucked in and her body trembled. "D-Damn you!" she hollered.

He shrugged, "Just say '_grazie_' and I might go easy on you, _Jiru_."

She flew at him, her fist outstretched to hit his face but he side stepped her and kneed her in the stomach. Jill took the blow like it was a pinch; her resolve hardening her body and seemed to increase her stamina. She twisted her body so that she cartwheeled over his shoulder, ducked down and swung at his ankles with a quick leg sweep. Jake back-flipped to avoid it and caught her high kick as she continued her ambush.

Jill looked at Jake and noticed the lack of enthusiasm to his attacks. There was no distinct attempt to even hurt her suddenly.

He just seemed… uninterested.

This infuriated her.

Why was it that no matter how much she gave it her all, he was always one step ahead of her? She was his big sister… so why couldn't she pose a threat to him?

Suddenly, one of the only remaining skyscrapers doubled over and nearly piled on top of them but both hybrids managed to dive out of the way in time.

In a brief moment of calm, the two stood side by side, watching the disaster that had come upon Sheena Island. All around them, glass shattered, explosions went off and buildings burned – it was such a catastrophe to behold. The skies were dark and thick with ash, so much that one couldn't decipher whether the clouds above were from the smoke or the rain; rain that fell ever so delicately.

It did nothing to extinguish the flames below.

"All this just to find me, huh?"

Jill closed her eyes, "If you'd simply returned to father to begin with, this would have never happened. You caused this Jake. You're responsible for the destruction we have to bring upon colonies. Whatever father demands we do, we have to… if only you were more merciful, then you'd understand why you're the problem with this world."

Jake sent her the coldest look and she was thunderstruck by its intensity, "_No, io non sono _[_No, no I am not_]." he bellowed, the distinct grumble of something otherworldly coated his voice, "I'm not the problem with this world. He is. That piece of shit, no good father of ours that you're always fucking babysitting!"

He balled his fists so tight that his palms began to bleed, "The day I go back to that damned land… is the day I'm ready to **bury** him. And as long as you're riding his ass like some sick puppy – I'll bury you with him."

* * *

"_Sir_!"

Steve had been rampaging through the city, searching for survivors. He carried each and every last one of them to the outskirts of the town where they could escape the fire and was now down to the last… _three_?

The battle tyrant, in his massive form lowered his head down to observe Rebecca, Cindy and Ashley rushing to his side. Though thoroughly surprised by their appearance, he picked them up into one hand and brought them close enough to his face to study them.

"Cindy… Ashley…" he started, hoarsely. In this state, his vocabulary left a lot to be desired… His blood-red orbs traveled to Rebecca for a moment and then back to the two blondes, "Where… Siren… girl?"

Cindy bit her lip, "Sir… she got really tough on us and said she was going to find Mr. _Spettro _[_Phantom_] and Leon. She ran off in the tunnels and we came to find you… we were hoping maybe you saw her."

"No… see… Siren… girl." He explained, eyeing Rebecca once again. "Bec…ca…"

Rebecca started to tear up, she hugged his thumb tightly, "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… Please, hear me out… I –"

"I… forgive." he interrupted.

The girls were shocked but touched by his mercy. Each thanked him for his kindness, Rebecca continued to hold onto his thumb, as if she were unable to stand anymore. Despite his words, she was ashamed and wanted nothing more than to rewind time and go back to a period before her life felt like it was falling apart. Back when she had Billy… so that none of this would have ever happened.

"Girls…" Steve said suddenly. "Help… Steve… find… friends."

* * *

Leon kicked Chris with enough force to send him hurling backward, rolling into the farthest end of the hall. When the man was gradually trying to stagger to his feet, Leon cursed his luck and his life. The agonizing sensation in his side pulsed, almost enough to make him fall to his knees. He glanced down to at his side and growled, "Dammit... how could I have been so careless...?" he whispered.

With a knife wound to his side, he grasped at it in pain before quickly leaping behind a wall. Just as he took cover, more _League_ troops piled out of Steve's office.

"Captain! Are you alright?" one asked, rushing to Chris' side as he struggled to his feet.

Peeking around the corner, Leon winced when the sharp wound stung at him. He glanced down at the blood leaking through his clothes. _Shit! _He clenched his teeth, and lead his head back against the wall.

He couldn't hear Chris' instructions but he heard the soldiers start to close in on his location and silently wondered if this was it. He couldn't run with this wound, let alone make a decent defense...

In the midst of their knife fight, the two were at first evenly matched. That changed once a minor explosion went off behind Leon and threw him to the floor where Chris proceeded to try stabbing him while he was down. At first, he was winning the deadlock but upon kicking Chris off, he felt the knife in his flesh and looked down to see the weapon sticking out of his side.

It turned out that Chris had an extra knife and had succeeded in jabbing him with it.

At first, even with the injury, Leon was able to handle himself and had dealt so much damage to Chris that the _League_ captain was severely weakened. He had knife wounds to each of his limbs and across his cheek; while nothing was fatal, he was clearly in need of medical attention.

Leon had made a fatal mistake when he pulled the weapon from his side, thus making the wound that much more painful; especially coupled with the fact that he had quite a few bruises from Chris' fists.

He knew he was in trouble.

With the _League_ members looming closer to his location, he deduced this was about to be the end. He slid to the floor and sighed, ready to at least give this one more shot…

In an instant, the sound of something metal hitting the floor echoed loudly in the area. The sandy haired fighter, peeked around the corner just as a thick cloud of smoke took over the halls.

At first, Leon speculated that another blast was the culprit but he saw no fire. Glancing around the corner once more, he watched with wide eyes as one by one, the soldiers fell to the ground, dead. The smoke was too thick to see what was responsible...

But what really caught his eye was the shadowy silhouette forming in the smoke.

For a moment there, this person seemed… so familiar…

Short hair and a long dress; the soft chuckle that resonated from this person was strikingly easy for him to recall. It was someone he'd never forget…

And just like that, they disappeared.

In the place of that figure was another emerging from the corridor ahead.

To his dismay… it was Chris.

The _League_ leader was clearly angered by the sudden slaughtering of his men. "I don't know how you do it, Kennedy... but it's all gonna stop right here..." He encroached upon Leon's weakened form, a bitter laugh resonating from him. "It's all over now. Heh, I never thought it would be this easy."

The sudden cold from metal stung against the skin of his forehead; Leon glanced up to see a _League_ soldier hovering over him. "Sir," the trooper spoke, "I've already called for back-up, shall I put this dog down?"

Chris shook his head, a sick smirk crept onto his handsome features. "Nah… give me the gun, _I'll_ put him down."

Leon snorted, willing to mock the man until his final breath. "Do what you want, but you'll never win this fight, Chris. The tyrants will rip you into pieces – especially the tyrant you're chasing."

Gritting his teeth, Chris ordered for the gun once again – this time much more forcefully. But before the soldier could move an inch, Leon caught a flash of blonde hair in the corner of his eye.

* * *

Sherry's guitar crashed forcefully into the soldier's face and instantly, it was lights out.

She said nothing as the soldier's head flew back and collided hard enough with the floor that it cracked on impact but didn't kill him thanks to his protective helmet. Still, he was out for the count.

"S-Sherry?" Leon was dumbstruck.

The injured rogue could do nothing as he watched Sherry move so quickly. She finished the soldier and quickly started at Chris. He nearly shouted for her to stop but surprisingly, she was able to simply block the captain with her guitar – instantly stopping him from trying to stab Leon. Chris' knife slipped from his hand when it connected with her steel guitar, flying away to stick in the wall.

Seeing Sherry weakly attempt to hold off Chris, Leon sprang into action, diving for the gun the soldier dropped when he was attacked and landing on his side. He realized Chris was about to harm the petite blonde and did his best to focus on a good target. In a flash, he aimed and fired at Chris' shoulder as he couldn't afford anywhere else or he could risk shooting Sherry.

Chris hollered and cursed boomingly, collapsing to his knees to clutch his shoulder in pain. He felt the burn from the bullet when it scraped over his left clavicle, rendering his left arm useless with the staggering pain.

With Chris incapacitated, Sherry quickly raced over and helped Leon to his feet, then urged him to the exit; leaving the _League_ captain behind in pain.

Pushing through the door, Leon winced as the pain in his side hurt. "Are you okay?" Sherry asked worriedly, tears pooling in her watery blue hues.

Leon managed a smile, "I didn't get stabbed in any major organs so that's the good news, but I could use some hemostatic medicine, that's for sure. Boy, am I glad to see you."

Sherry smiled weakly, "What luck that I found you, huh? Try to not overexert yourself, I'll do whatever I can to protect you." she assured, walking ahead of him, her guitar readied in her hands.

He chuckled lightly, "Yeah, you're pretty damn good with that. Glad I gave it to you. But no matter how skilled you are, it's _unmanly_ of me to let a woman do all the work." he reloaded the handgun and pushed on behind her, "Let's get outta here."

* * *

Jake ducked behind a fire truck as Jill unloaded her VZ61 machine gun at him. He'd tried to use his handgun but she shot it clean out of his hand. Same with his magnum… though that more or less got jammed when he tried firing at her earlier. His first bullet blew a hole through a bus but the second was where the jam happened.

He felt irritated by his novice skills with a firearm. Here he was, a mighty tyrant – yet he was unlearned in the mastery skills of gun use. He dug into his pocket and felt the grenade that Leon had given him but decided against using it now… it could come in handy later. He knew he needed more practice… this was something he'd endeavor to work on more diligently in the future.

And this time, he'd practice to be diligent and not just to get Sherry off his mind.

She was actually pretty good motivation for him.

When Jill started to reload, Jake kicked the truck off the ground and hurled it toward her. She quickly dived away, aiming and firing at her brother with her teeth clenched in anger. Jake flashed away, zeroing in on her and parrying her gun out of her hands as well as dislocating her shoulder.

She succeeded in flipping off his face but didn't expect him to grab her ankle and slam her to the ground. She cried out in pain, her eyes shut tightly and upon reopening she was face to face with Jake's fist. She narrowly escaped him; rolling out of the way only for his fist to crush into the ground, cracking into the earth and making a portal to underworld.

It was Jill's turn to run this time. She dashed away as quickly as her legs could take her, cradling her injured arm as she ran. The hybrid woman was forced to snap her dislocated arm back in place while trying to avoid her enraged younger siblings' attacks. She let out a hoarse growl after relocating it and ducked just in time as a car flew over her head.

When she stood tall again, she was baffled by his sudden absence…

She could feel his presence nearby but he was nowhere to be seen. All around her was relative quiet, save the usual chaos in the horizon.

She pulled her Samurai Edge handgun from her thigh holster and crouched down behind a large metal dumpster, waiting for Jake to show himself. The alley behind her was dark and surprisingly untouched by the city wide flames. She felt a momentary sense of security; at least here she knew she was just as much hidden as Jake was – wherever that may be.

It was at that moment that she realized she couldn't sense him anymore.

_Did he –?! _Cursing under her breath, she started to pursue, but not before radioing her captain with the device by her ear. "Captain, this is Vermilion – do you read me? The target is fleeing! I repeat, the target is fleeing!" she progressed forward but no matter how many times she tried to contact him, she got no response.

"Captain! Do you read me? Respond now!"

Nothing...

"Cap –" she paused, squeezing her eyes shut, tears threatening in them. "_Chris_! This is Jill! …Please respond… I need to know you're okay. You _have_ to be…"

Once again, there was no response.

Leaping onto one of the few remaining buildings, she stopped altogether. With her hands clasped together in silent prayers – she dropped her head, "As a tyrant above you… _Chris_, I demand you respond or face penalty." she said lowly.

This was only used as a last resort – she never tried to make Chris feel lower than her but this time, she _needed_ an answer.

_Chris… _"Chris… I need your help…"

Nothing was working. She felt dread in her stomach… could the unthinkable have happened?

_Is this my fault…? Because I'm incompetent…? _Tears burned at her eyes.

"What kind of man sends a woman out to do his dirty work, anyway?"

Jill grit her teeth and whirled around to her brother, his sharp fangs glistening in the light from the flames. Jake appeared humored by her dilemma… "…The kind that believes in her." she said proudly.

"Is that right? I suppose that's your answer for the _daddy-kins_ too?"

"Aren't you a card?" she rolled her eyes, venom laced her every word.

Jake shifted his weight onto his right leg, his hands were once again stuffed in his pockets, "I mean… it could also be because of what you are too… Humans love to work us like slaves, remember?"

Images of a moment in time when she was discarded in favor of a young boy with red hair and brilliant eyes surfaced.

She recalled being told she would never reach his level of power. She was told she was no good…

In retaliation, Jill kicked at him but he easily dodged the action. "Oh that's rich! If you think you could deter my loyalty with such a baseless claim, you're wrong. I could very well say the same thing about that little flower in your care."

Now that knocked him off his high horse; her implication of Sherry was enough to wipe the smirk from Jake's face. "I could spit the same nonsense in your direction, brother. How do you know Birkin's daughter isn't just using **you**? Then again, you are a _hired hand_, aren't you? When the job's all done – you'll be on to the next client. Typical mercenary work – at least the people I work for are _constant_."

Silence emerged between them.

Jake had his head lowered and for a moment, Jill wondered did she take it too far. She knew nothing of his relationship with William's daughter…

The sudden rise and fall of Jake's shoulders alarmed her. Chuckles erupted from him and when he raised his head, to her chagrin, his smug grin had returned… but why? "She could be using me – but hell, I really don't give a flying fuck about it."

Jill couldn't believe her ears, "You're… okay with being used? So what makes my human using me so despicable?"

"I ain't got no respect for a leader that can't take responsibility for his people."

"What are you talking about?"

In an instant, Jill was thrown over Jake's shoulder and he leaped off the building, racing into the heated crisis within the city. He raced through the fiery abyss of destruction, giving his sister a glimpse of the hell Sheena city had become. At first, Jill saw no reason for any of this – she was well aware of the town's condition. However, her perception changed once she understood just exactly what he was showing her.

While the buildings and structures were surely done for, the tyrant civilians were actually alive! They were evacuating more of their own and even helping some of the human denizens away to safety. Most of the losses were from the invaders ranks. _League_ members were scattered about, dead from fatal wounds most likely done by tyrants.

Jake dashed through an open street and they came to an alley just as tyrants cornered a group of _League_ troops and slaughtered them mercilessly.

"The biggest mistake your captain made was invading a tyrant colony." Jake mused darkly, "The human's stand no chance in hell of ever overcoming tyrants. It's been that way for centuries and you know that."

Jill couldn't believe the devastation. "Where are our tyrant allies?" she asked with wide eyes.

Jake pointed to the ground, "Your captain took most of them underground – with him. Left the poor, helpless humans up here with just a few. But you know, Burns took those guys out in no time. So now your people are just prey – weak, easy prey."

"But Chris is fighting! He's –"

"He got his ass kicked by a blonde pretty boy… after said pretty boy took out all your tyrant ranks by his damn self." he huffed… "Gotta give it to him, he's pretty tough for a mortal."

"You must mean Mr. Kennedy? But of course he is, his track record's a lot vaster than you can imagine… But Chris can handle him – and when he responds we will finish this city and take you with us back to father."

Jake pushed her against the wall, glaring hard into her eyes with his icy ones now that his patience was lost, "Listen you crazy ass _gnocca_ [_broad_]; what kind of leader sends his group off to be slaughtered under the instruction of a madman tyrant who doesn't give a shit whether they live or die?!"

She was without words…

He released her and backed away with a huff, "Now, my human ain't perfect – in fact, she's downright _weird_. A weirdo dancing girl…" Jill looked up at him, eyes full of wonder. "But if there's one thing I know, other than the fact that she's got _curves_ and _yummy thighs_ –"

"Get to the point, brother." Jill deadpanned. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at his hands outlining an imaginary hourglass figure… and that creepy smirk…. _Gross._

"She's always around when _she thinks_ I need her. And I don't even have to ask for her to come to me, she just does it."

* * *

"Jake!"

Sherry's eyes lit up now that she'd finally found him. She raced towards him, Leon trailing behind her steadily but he was careful not to push it. They'd come across an emergency vehicle earlier and were lucky enough to find gauze to wrap around his wound. He wasn't in tip top shape, but at least now he'd slowed the bleeding from it.

Sherry realized Jake wasn't alone and narrowed her eyes suspiciously at this new individual. Jake didn't spare her a glance, he kept his focus squarely on the woman in front of him. She observed the woman's long blonde tresses disarrayed in the ponytail, her tattered clothing and the bruises and cuts all over her body.

_Were they fighting each other? _

She looked back to Jake and noticed the rough countenance to his physique as well. His cloak was missing and he was pretty mangled too.

"Jake, are you okay…?" she slid the strap of her guitar over her shoulder to let the instrument hang against her hip and slowly advanced, hands up to show she was unarmed.

Leon grasped her by the elbow and gently held her back, knowing a fight could break out any moment.

"So, _Jiru_ – where's your human?" they heard him ask the woman.

It was Leon who spoke up, catching the two hybrid's attention. "If you're talking about Chris Redfield, he's underground – with a bullet wound to his shoulder." Jill froze. "You might wanna go get him."

Jake shook his head, pointing behind them to where Jill's eyes were focused. "No he isn't. He's right there."

Sherry and Leon whirled around to see Chris emerging from the alleyway behind them. Sherry was horrified; the man clutched his bleeding shoulder, possibly on the brink of unconsciousness and yet he was still coming for them. Leon was visibly upset, sending the injured captain a look so heated you'd think he'd turn to ashes.

"H-He followed us!" Sherry exclaimed after being thrust behind Leon's back.

Eyeing Chris with aggravation, Jake huffed, "Damn pretty boy, last I saw ya you were kicking his ass. You mean you couldn't finish him?"

Leon chuckled dryly, "He caught me off guard; won't happen again."

"So I guess he's here for revenge? Damn," he sent a mocking grin to his older sister. "He really _doesn't_ give a damn about you, _Jiru_..."

Jill ignored them all and in a flash, she was kneeling down beside her weakened captain. She was in a state of panic and worry, his shoulder was bleeding badly and his breathing was labored. He clung to the wall nearby and clutched at his injured limb, cursing under his breath. "Chris… you're hurt – don't push it." she pleaded, placing her hands on his uninjured shoulder.

Chris said nothing, his head was lowered and he continued to pant heavily. Leon tugged at Sherry and moved in on Jake, "We should go while he's down."

Typical of Jake, he snorted indignantly and averted his gaze. "I don't have to listen to you, pretty boy."

Sherry frowned, "Jake." he glanced at her, but only for a moment. "Look around us. Look at what has become of Steve's city. Are you really going to be so selfish?" she ripped her arm away from Leon to stand before her hybrid escort, her confidence unwavering. "The sooner we leave, they will follow us and at least Steve can repair his town. But we have to _leave_ first."

"Chris, no!"

Leon ducked down just as Chris stole Jill's Samurai Edge and fired at him using his good arm. Jill tried to restrain him. Restraining from striking her to get her off, Chris was quickly losing patience with her. In an instant, he raised his hand – intent on smacking the hybrid away... but stopped abruptly. Chris' eyes met Jake's and for a brief moment he stiffened; it was as if the supreme overlord himself was standing before him.

The height, the sharpness in the features, and that lean physique…

The difference was merely in their hair and eyes…

"Jill… he's the target, isn't he?"

Jill stopped pulling on him, gazing wide eyed at him. "Wh-What?"

Chris clenched his teeth in rage, glaring harshly at the beautiful hybrid. "He's your goddamn brother, isn't he?!" he yelled and she winced under his rage.

"_Brother_…?" Sherry echoed.

Just then, they were surrounded. _League_ troops swarmed the perimeter, all aiming and ready to fire upon them. Jake, Sherry and Leon were forced into the center, their backs against each other as they surveyed the hordes.

"W-We're surrounded…!" Sherry whispered fearfully, removing her guitar. She knew she didn't stand a chance against so many professionals but she had to _try_…

Leon cursed his luck once again and Jake remained as stoic as ever, but there was a hint of a smirk on his face. Chris stepped ahead in the crowd, glaring at them even though he was bleeding badly. It was like he had a tolerance for pain… "I told you I'd take you down, didn't I?" he gloated at Leon. "And now you really don't stand a chance… especially not with that knife wound."

Jake observed the look of disbelief on his sister's face. Almost like the man she was standing beside was a total different entity suddenly, "Hey, _Jiru_," she looked at him, as did Chris. "I didn't know you liked total nut job mortals… but then again, ya have dealt with _Pops_ all these years, I guess it was just a matter of time, eh?"

Disliking Jake's badmouthing and disrespect, Chris aimed his gun and fired despite Jill's scream for him not to.

The bullet missed Jake as he flashed out of the way, resulting in the bullet striking a soldier behind him. Members of the _League_ that were beside the downed soldier went into disarray – thunderstruck by the loss.

Observing Chris' cold indifference, Jake was suddenly curious…

He laid his hands on Sherry's shoulders and gently lowered her down to her knees. Whilst he did so, he kept his smug smirk and icy orbs focused on Chris. Sherry stayed where he put her once he let go but reached to pull Leon down with her; he crouched by her side.

"Tch, poor leader and definitely _a poor shot_."

Another shot whisked past his face, striking another soldier.

Jake continued to taunt at Chris, calling him all sorts of names.

The other _League_ members were beginning to lose morale; as Chris shot at Jake, he took down many of his own and showed no remorse. They were starting to become appalled by their captain's callousness.

Eventually, Chris grew tired of the dance. "Men! Aim and fire!"

None seemed ready to obey. Jake felt triumphant, he'd successfully brought confusion among the ranks, though Chris had done all the work for him. Perhaps it was the earlier display that had instilled doubt in them, but either way, their hesitance was soon overcome by their fear of the captain's temper. "Either you fire or I'll feed you all to the tyrants!"

"_Troppo tardi_ [_too late_], they're already tyrant food." the hybrid reached into his pocket and pulled out the flash grenade.

And then he threw it.

* * *

Sherry covered her ears and her eyes shut as tight as possible to lessen the effects of whatever Jake had thrown. When she finally recovered from the flash, she was forced to do the same thing she'd done before upon hearing the most horrible shrieks erupt all around her.

Not much later, she reopened her eyes only to watch in terror as hordes of tyrants tore through the _League_ members. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"They're…"

Leon smiled, "Sheena Island's civilians." he patted her head, "They're here for revenge." he gave Jake a thumbs up, he was proud that the hybrid actually used the gift he gave him. _Looks like you're not as hard-headed as you pretend to be... or maybe, just maybe... you planned this? _Leon was amused by the enigmatic half-tyrant; he had motives for everything he did.

Sheena's tyrant's made a mess of the masses, troops were thrown about, set ablaze and torn limb from limb in moments. It was a horrible sight to see but oddly the sense that justice was being done provided some comfort… even if just a little.

But not for Sherry; she fancied she'd never get used to hearing and seeing tyrants make a mockery of human life and commit such carnage. She just wasn't one to stomach the horrendous scenery…

She covered her ears, squeezing her eyes shut again to filter out the chaos around her. She was shaking, unsure of what to think, do or say at a moment like this…

A moment later, she felt arms circle around her waist from behind. She turned in the person's arms and buried her face into their muscular chest. "Jake… I'm glad you're okay…" Once her hands touched his naked upper torso and her cheek came to rest on his collar bone, her whole face flushed red. She felt faint at the feel of his taut, chiseled muscles pressed to her – plus, the skin of his chest was smooth and he was sweaty… _Get it together, Sherry… down girl…!_

Jake felt her purr against his skin and chuckled, "_Non dovete preoccuparti me Piccolina_ [_You never have to worry about me, my pretty little one_]."

Leon tried to stand but the sudden quaking of the ground prevented it.

Behind them, Steve emerged carrying Rebecca, Ashley and Cindy.

"Yoo-hoo!" Cindy greeted with a grin and wave. She was seated on her bosses shoulder with her legs crossed like the dainty lady she was. Ashley was on the opposite shoulder, slung over it with her front facing everyone and luckily the dress she wore covered her backside well enough from behind. She had her chin propped up on her hands.

Rebecca was in his hair… and looked to be battling it.

Leon greeted them with a wave, happy to see them in the sea of so much madness.

Sherry pulled away from Jake to greet her favorite girls but stopped when she saw the monstrous tyrant. Jake chuckled, giving Steve a nod, "That's _Burns_, Siren." Sherry's jaw dropped. "Remember when I told you he's a battle tyrant? This is his real form."

She was clearly floored. _He's huge! …And hideous! _She shivered when his bloody eyes came upon her. She waved awkwardly, "H-Hi… S-Steve…"

"Siren… girl… safe." he replied and she forced a smile. He turned to Jake, "Sorry… took… so… long. Glad… you… stall… them."

Jake smirked, "It ain't a party unless the hordes reap the harvest."

Sherry was amazed that Steve still maintained his normal voice, though he spoke slower and less articulate.

Ashley climbed down from Steve and raced over to Sherry to scan her for injuries. "She's fine!" she shouted back at Cindy. She then went on to comically tiptoe closer to Jake and look him over, Jake's cold gaze studying her every movement as she did so. "_He's hot_ – I err mean, he's got some minor scraps… nothing too bad to tarnish his…" she trailed off, quickly scooting away to go to Leon. Instantly, she looked horrified, "Cindy, Rebecca! Leon needs attention!"

Steve generously helped Cindy off his shoulder and then opened his palm for Rebecca to leap onto so he could lower her to the ground as well. The women raced over with bags full of medical supplies.

"You're nurses too?" Sherry wondered aloud.

Ashley put her hands on her hips, "Yep! Mayor Burnside sends his attendants to medical training courses and we have to complete them in a month for the exams!"

Steve patted her head with his index finger. "Ashley… fail… four… time." This brought the blonde down from her cheerful mood to one of sulking.

While Rebecca and Cindy tended to Leon and Sherry tried to elevate the other blonde's suddenly sour demeanor, Jake observed Jill fighting off tyrants to defend Chris. To his surprise, the _League_ captain wasn't incompetent. He was a pretty accurate shot, despite his earlier insults. Chris was taking down tyrants at an impressive rate but the ones he couldn't finish off, Jill came in for the kill.

_He might pose an actual threat in the future... _This was enough to unease him, if only a bit.

Seeing Jill again stirred some old memories that he'd longed to forget. Memories of playing with her by many bodies of water; swimming all over the Italian Islands with her and learning how to fish with her. Jill was his rival and friend during his early years, she never showed him anything but friendly competition, fun and accepted him despite the fact that they had different mothers.

She was a whole century older than him and yet, she never changed much; she was still spunky and determined Jill. He appreciated her spunk and always cared for her… before they were split apart by **him**.

"Chris! We should fall back and retreat!" Jill pleaded, deflecting another tyrants attack with a kick.

Chris was completely unresponsive. He continued to fire his handgun, despite the fact that he had trouble reloading. Jill frowned, "Chris! As a tyrant above you – I demand you call a retreat!"

The glare he shot her chilled her to the bone… "No goddamn half-breed is gonna tell me what to do. Stand down Valentine, or I will arrest you." he growled.

Jill was dumbstruck. "You can't be serious! You're... you're joking, right?"

"You heard me dammit!"

Realizing this was futile, the loyal hybrid took in some air before advancing on her captain. "Sir, you have to forgive me." she muttered, cupping his cheek despite the obvious disdain he shown her. She smiled sweetly, trying to comfort him before she went against instructions and disobeyed orders…

She couldn't bear to see this destruction of their team commence any longer. At this rate, they'd all be wiped out in a moments.

She also couldn't believe who her best friend and partner had become… it was all so sudden…

"Forgive me." she whispered again.

Jill's hand snaked around to his nape where she tapped an area there as gently as possible but with just enough power to get the job done.

Chris fell out unconscious.

She quickly scooped the captain up and leaped away, demanding the remaining _League_ members follow her lead and retreat. They willingly complied, racing after her as fast as they could to reach their battleship on the outskirts of the island. The surviving _League_ tyrants guarded the rear end, fending off Sheena's until their crew was safely away.

Steve and Jake followed behind the civilians that continued their pursuit of the intruders, hoping to provide assistance if needed. Ashley had accompanied Steve by riding on his shoulder while Sherry had been gathered into Jake's arms; they left Leon behind with Cindy and Rebecca since they'd begun some surgical procedures to take care of his knife wound.

When the _League_ had reached their ship, tyrants leaped off the island, still willing to chase them down and kill the remainders. Steve was going to allow it but he observed the look to his friend's eyes upon seeing his sister in danger. Instead, he called them all to return where they watched from the shores as the _League's_ battleship disappeared into the fog in the distance.

Silence stretched among the people until a sudden loud cheer began. The townsfolk celebrated their victory; they had successfully driven the enemy away.

Jake was disturbed by this reality. Because of his presence in Sheena, he was able to help push back the _League's_ assault… but what had become of Raccoon? The place he'd lived for 15 years in solace… was it really in shambles…? Did the tyrants there do their duty and protect the people? Or did they abandon them…?

"Jake," Sherry tapped him on the back and he glanced over his shoulder at the sweet smile gracing her features. In her hands was another dark cloak and she presented it to him with a smile, "Ashley was told by Steve to give this to you, but she's scared of you… so, here."

He accepted it rather slowly, giving her an odd look of regret and for the first time, exhaustion. Sherry quickly picked up on his mood as if it were her own and looped arms with him, "Come on, let's go…"

_It's best she doesn't know what's become of Raccoon… or her father. It could very well tear her apart… _

* * *

Steve carried them all around the outskirts of Sheena. Once they reached Leon's hideout, he reverted back to his normal size. While Sherry found the lever to open the doors, Rebecca quickly covered Steve with a new trench coat since his previous clothes were ruined.

The group piled into the lower level and shut the door behind them, descending the stairs.

"Hey, so this is where you've been hiding from me, uncle?" Ashley glared at the sandy haired mechanic and he tried to chuckle but the stitches from where Rebecca nursed him were still fresh. He fancied he'd laugh about it later.

When they finally arrived to the boat, Jake helped Sherry on board while Leon climbed on as well and went for the wheel to start up the boat. Jake abruptly stopped before following Sherry, he glanced over his shoulder to his friend and was taken aback by the smile gracing his features. Jake descended the ladder and walked over with his head hung low.

"Hey, uh I'm sorry about your city, bro." he told him, kicking at the ground.

Steve shrugged, "Hey, I wanted you here so don't sweat it." he patted his friends' shoulder and grinned, "And you're not at fault anyway." he discreetly glanced back at Rebecca and she shrank away.

"Dude, I just got your whole city set ablaze and you ain't mad?"

"Actually I'm _pissed_." The two laughed and were joined by the three attendants at Steve's side. "But don't worry about it. We'll have this whole town rebuilt and running again in no time – a week at the latest."

_Hopefully we'll see each other again – and not after another 90 years. _Steve thought, "Oh and before you go… I need to talk to the Siren girl…if that's okay?"

Jake gave him a peculiar look before turning to Sherry. She was standing outside the pilothouse with her fingers laced; she was clearly nervous. "Just don't mention anything about her dad, Raccoon or that Claire lady."

"You're keeping that from her? Why?" Steve waved off his own question and leaped onto the boat, leaving Jake alone with the overly friendly Cindy, meek Rebecca and boy-crazed Ashley.

In hindsight, he should've thought that through.

Sherry was startled by his sudden appearance, "Oh, S-Steve… is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I just wanted to say thank you for helping the girls' out." he chuckled, "Cindy and Ashley told me how you beat the shit outta a tyrant to save Rebecca – that's pretty badass, ya know?"

"Thanks, I'm glad I could help." she said with a blush, "But also, please don't penalize Rebecca. She really –"

"I know, she told me about her husband, Billy." he cut her off. "Don't worry, I won't punish her… but there was something I wanted to ask you…"

"Sure, what is it?"

Steve dropped his head and scratched at the back of his hair. She was befuddled by his sudden bashful demeanor, "Uh… do you," he coughed to clear his throat. "Do you think _she_ loved me?"

She made a face before catching his implication. The siren-like beauty couldn't help the God honest smile that came to her face. She took his hands in hers and urged him to look her in the eye, "Yes." she said with a nod. "And I'm certain she still does."

He smiled for a moment until that sheepish behavior commenced again, "Ya know… I feel that way about her too… It's weird but I think I... really do…" he whispered the last part.

When Sherry's arms were thrown around his neck, he immediately tensed. "I'm happy for you both." She noticed he didn't return the gesture and pulled away from him, obviously confused. "What's wrong?" she asked though her hands were still on his shoulders.

"Jake's giving me the death glare."

Sherry looked at said hybrid and was humored by the icy look to his eyes; he glared daggers at Steve. Sherry giggled and sent a sympathetic look to Steve, "Thank you… You have no idea how happy you've made me."

"Why?"

She simply smiled and then walked off to join Jake with the other women. Cindy seemed to be talking his ear off and Rebecca was trying to stop Ashley from flirting with the tall, enigmatic tyrant.

"Hey," Leon called from the pilothouse, "Tell them to come on, we're all set to go."

Steve entered the pilothouse and leaned over his human friend to utter a few words to him. "Leon, don't go towards Raccoon, got it?"

That dumbfounded Leon. Perplexed, he glanced toward Jake, then Sherry and finally back to Steve. "Why?"

"Now that the _League_ knows Jake, they'll surely follow him there and won't stop until he's captured. If Raccoon is already in shambles, no doubt it will get worse from here. You guys should go somewhere and lie low until they lose your trail."

It was sound advice, but Leon still had concerns. "What about Claire?"

Steve sighed, his eyes lowered to a close. "It only takes a few days for me to reach Raccoon if I assume my real form. I'll get her… and bring her here with me so I know she's safe. It's smarter to do that than send those two home to get captured. Plus, you're in no shape to put up a fight with those stitches so fresh. You should go into hiding... Take it easy and make sure the Siren girl keeps Jake under control."

"Will do… good luck buddy."

When Steve returned to the outside, Jake was there to greet him. "Looks like I owe you now." he humored.

"Nah, consider us even."

"Thanks again, Burns."

The life-long friends shook hands.

Both knew that this may be the last time they see each other in a long time.

* * *

In a dark, unrecognizable tower, a lone figure stands in a room lit by only torches. The walls are brick like the floors and a single long, red carpet with elegant designs stretches from the farthest wall to the only door for entry.

The moon shines in through a window, illuminating the figure dressed in all-black – in particular, his strikingly bright blonde hair.

The door creaks open behind him and he does not turn to the intruder. His eyes remain focused on the image before him. A tall, beautiful artists' drawing of an ethereal woman with long red hair braided over her shoulder. She has the most flawless skin, the brightest of eyes and the pinkest lips; she is young, perhaps in her early twenties.

There are more items beneath it, including a coffin…

"Supreme master…" the intruder speaks. "The _League_ has reported their return shall be soon."

"… Empty-handed, I presume?" the man says, his voice deep and smooth… "Once again, this unnecessary campaign has amounted to nothing. I assume that this individual was not my son?"

"Actually Master… he had _the scar_..."

He inclines his head, glancing over his shoulder and giving a glimpse of the black sunglasses concealing his eyes. "Did he now…?"

"This is possibly the most plausible lead so far. Perhaps… Lady Jill will be able to confirm upon arrival?"

"We shall see…" After a long stretch of silence, he places his hand on the coffin and a sick grin comes to his face, "You've tried to hide him for too long, Penelope. But perhaps your luck has run out?"

Turning to his minion, the supreme master stalks forward, his mouth a thin line and the long, dark coat he wears rustles as he walks. "This is promising… tell Redfield and my bastard daughter to join me in an audience upon their arrival, I need speak with them. If they have truly identified my son, I will give them my best tyrants to assist with the hunt."

"What about Birkin, your greatness? Has he admitted to harboring the young master?"

"I've no reason to ask him anything I already know the answer to. I'll deal with _William_… but I want him relocated to my tower. He and I shall have a little chat as well, under different circumstances."

Once the minion left him alone, the supreme master gazed out at the moon, his eyes flashing behind those dark shades of his. A smirk inches onto his face, "Remember when you said… humans are not as worthless as I always assumed…?"

With a laugh, he dismisses the thought. He turns to the picture again and eyes the name beneath it.

_Penelope Muller. _

"I'll purge them from this world, every last one of them. And I hope you are able to see it."

* * *

After setting off from Sheena, Leon steered the boat in another direction than Raccoon. Jake stood behind him, silently observing the sea. The waters were calm and the thick fog was easier to navigate through thanks to the GPS system. It was chilly so Sherry had taken it upon herself to offer Leon a blanket and tea but Jake had politely declined. As of now, Sherry was down below, making herself comfortable in her room but he was sure she was asleep considering she was laying down when he last saw her.

"Since we ain't going back to Raccoon yet, where we goin'?" Jake asked, his arms folded across his chest.

"We need to lie low so I we're gonna skip a few islands and head to the Sea Towns."

"That area used to be part of old Europe, right?"

Leon nodded, sipping at the warm tea in his thermos. "The Netherlands. Also… it's a vital spot for trades but I doubt the _League_ will search for us there. I hope you don't mind keeping concealed for a few days…?"

Jake shrugged, "Just as long as we don't stay too long. But what makes you so sure they won't come there?"

"It's a human colony... and you know how humans are. They're frightened of tyrants so no matter what, they won't dare speak of you."

Watching as dawn peeked over the horizon in the distance, Jake related it to the symbol of a new day… and a new chapter in this endless quest back to Raccoon.

Sherry was below, curled up in her bed asleep with a smile on her face.

Steve may not have understood her earlier, but he'd succeeded in solidifying her belief in love.

If Steve, a full-blown tyrant can learn to love Claire, then Jake, a half-breed, can surely learn to love her.

_I'll have your heart one day Jake. I just know it. _

The new phase to their journey was about to commence.

* * *

A/N: There's chapter 7! I want to thank **aquacrow **for helping with translations again! You're the best!

Sorry the Halloween fic never happened [I got too busy with school and such] but at least I could update this. :D

Well, we're onto a new arc and for those who are curious, yes, we will be seeing Claire in coming chapters because Steve's gonna keep his promise. So what's in store for our three setting off for the Sea Towns? Hm, another character coming in so I hope you'll stick around to find out who and what they have to offer. XD

Is William okay? Hm, only the future will tell [more importantly, how's Sherry gonna feel when she realizes Jake's been keeping secrets? Uh-oh!]. And as for the stranger who helped Leon... we all know who that is and she has a very vital role in the future. ;D

The next coming chapters will be revealing and [for those hungry for more JakexSherry] there's lots to come.

Things may have been a bit easy for them this time, but from here, the road will be bumpy [yes, even for Jake - he'll be meeting his match in fighting very soon].

Thanks for all the favs, reviews and alerts everyone, I hope you'll continue to do so and if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to let me know.

See ya around!

-Vio


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